Naruto - Life as a Devil
by Dreaming of the Phoenix
Summary: Okay, multiple crossings, taking from many different shows and games, and dumping them in the DxD world. Had to list under Naruto for the fact that Naruto will be my main. Rated M for language and safety. If you don't like what I do, don't read it. Irregular updates!
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Ladies, Gentlemen, and Various Others. This story has been knocking around in my skull for about a year now, and I have finally decided to see how it does. Let me say it now: there is no current Pairing in this story. I am going to allow the dice to roll and fall as they will, though he will be having relations of the sexual kind with various women, it doesn't mean that's the woman he'll end up with. This story, for all intents and purposes, is going to be a full-on Discovery Style. The only exception to this, is the eventual Peerage, which has already been chosen. So please, I beg you, don't inundate me with suggestions, you will find out as I go.

As always, a shout to my friend Dreaming of the Moon for his assistance.

 **Disclaimer:** This is the only time I'll say this long Disclaimer! I do not own any of the characters or worlds I use in this work of Fiction, including, but not limited to the following: Naruto, High School DxD, Bleach, RWBY, Sekirei, Soul Calibur, Basilisk, Legend of Dragoon, Assassination Classroom, Overlord, Historyu's Strongest Disciple Kenichi, Fire Emblem, DC Universe, and Samurai Warriors.

 **Chapter 01: Finding a Successor**

Lord Gressen Asmodai lay in his bed, knowing without rancor that he was finally dying. He didn't know just how long he would linger, but he was content. He would finally rejoin his beloved bride who passed from him some centuries before. He could rest knowing that he had accomplished much in his nearly forty-five hundred years of life. He had seen a great deal, from the Great War with the Heavens, to the later Civil War amongst his own kind when the corrupt and arrogant Old Satan Faction needed to be brought down. He had even participated in that battle, himself bringing about the deaths of nearly twenty Legions under the command of the then-current Leviathan despite holding the title of Asmodeus, the original founder of his House, at the time.

No, the old devil had no regrets about any of that. If he had to give one, it would be that his House would end with him. His only son and daughter had both perished in that same civil war, and his only wife, the one woman he would ever bring himself to copulate with, had died only a few short centuries ago. So with his death his House and Name would be removed from among the Registry and the Pillars, which would put all of his servants out in the streets of the Underworld without jobs. Oh, they could seek employment elsewhere, as some had already done, but those who had remained loyal to him, they were a different story.

Gressen was a charitable soul, and he did not want to know that he had left such loyalty unrewarded. Much like his old friends of the Gremory House, he, too, cared greatly for those who served him. It would be a smear upon his name in his last hour to leave them without some form of compensation. So he had called his people together in his mansion's great hall, and asked of them their opinion. He was surprised, to say the least, that they each said they would rather follow him to the grave than serve outside his bloodline.

So he hatched a plan with them. He now waited against time for their findings. Then the door opened, and the two youngest of his loyal maids entered. Both looked to be in their late to mid teens, and were obviously sisters.

"Has it been found then, Militia, Melanie?"

"Yes, Master Gressen. The subject has all the particulars you have asked for," Melanie replied. She was a quiet girl, and had customized her uniform in white with light blue accents. Her twin sister, Militia, was just as quiet, but had the longer hair, and patterned her uniform in black and red. The two were utterly inseparable, they had been human together, and they became devils together, even going so far as to continue to share a bed even now. Gressen had rescued them from a collapsing world that had reached it's potential End, and in return he was rewarded with their loyalty. He would not see that loyalty betrayed now.

"Very good," he was interrupted by a sudden coughing fit that wrenched its way from within his emaciated frame. He regarded his now-frail body with a certain amount of amusement. Devils were powerful beings, with bodies that could take and dish out great amounts of punishment, but when their time came to die of old age, those same bodies suddenly became as frail as any century-old human, and he was indisputably the oldest living devil.

"Shall we commence with obtaining the subject, Master?" Militia asked.

"Yes, Militia. Bring me our hope."

The two girls bowed and retreated from the room. Gressen lay back among the piled pillows with a heavy sigh. It wouldn't be long now. Just a little more time, that was all he needed. Soon, soon he would have what he needed to ensure that the loyalty of his remaining people was paid back.

Soon he would have his successor.

 **XXXXXXXX- Break**

A fourteen year old Uzumaki Naruto stared out over the devastated landscape that had once been a lush forest with a flourishing village at its center. Now the only thing that remained to even denote that a village had even stood there was the circular wall that had encompassed it, and the carved faces on the overlooking mountain. What could have happened to his home? Where could everyone be?

With those thoughts in mind, Naruto began to desperately shift through the rubble, his fear lending him strength he didn't know he had. It lent him strength, speed, and endurance beyond what he knew was possible for him. He had returned to Konoha early from his trip with his teacher, Jiraiya of the Sannin, almost a full year. It wasn't that he was finished with his training, not even close, but Jiraiya had disappeared on him three months ago without word, so he figured he could at least go to Konoha and see what had all changed.

He had never dared to imagine this.

So engrossed in his task was he that he never heard the approach of someone from behind until he sensed an attack. Rolling forward in a ball, he spun around and came face to face with his attacker, a man with bright orange hair and quite a few facial piercings.

"I thought you would return here, Kyuubi Jinchūriki."

"Are you the one who did this?!" Naruto growled.

"Indeed."

"WHY?!"

"Because it was needful for peace."

"Bullshit!" Naruto charged recklessly, kunai in hand. "This isn't peace! It's death!"

"Exactly," the man replied even as he dodged every enraged strike with an ease that spoke of practise. "Humanity can only know true peace once they are all equal. And the only way to make everyone equal is in death. Thus must every living person die."

"Hell no! There has to be another way!" The young man denied, his strikes becoming slower as his anger made him sloppy.

"Not for this deluded and perverse world," the man stated with conviction. "The general treatment of you Jinchūriki is just one example I can use to show you how flawed our world is."

Naruto grunted as he was shoved backward by a harsh kick to his stomach. "Even so! There should be other choices! What are you going to do? Kill everyone and then yourself?"

"That is exactly what I intend."

Naruto blinked, "Wha…?"

"It is your turn. I've already dealt with everyone else who called Konoha home, and before this I visited both Kumo and Kiri. Don't worry," A tiny sneer could be seen forming on the otherwise impassive face, "The other humans won't survive you for very long."

Naruto couldn't think. None of this was making any sense. Just because anarchy seemed to be in human nature, they all had to die? That was too extreme! But Konoha was already gone. His friends, the truths of his family that Tsunade-baachan had promised to tell him. And so many more things as well!

With his mind crashing into circles, Naruto's legs followed suit and he fell to his knees in the dirt. He simply couldn't comprehend how this was all happening. He couldn't even focus enough to see his opponent stalking toward him with a kunai ready to slit his throat.

Naruto was brought back into the world at the sound of metal clashing, and looked up to see the man's kunai being shoved aside by a... white high-heeled left boot? His eyes trailed up the boot to the attached leg, up the leg to a ruffled white hoop skirt that didn't quite manage to hide the newcomer's cyan panties, up the skirt to a lithe upper body, up that to nice set of rounded shoulders... and from there the angle was too bad to see anything more than a head of long black hair.

 _Well, at least it seems I was rescued by a cute girl… I hope. After that thing with Haku…_

Naruto then took note of another presence to his left, and turned slightly to see another raven-haired girl, this one in black and red, and wielding a pair of claw gauntlets. Aside from the colors of the outfit, and the weapons, he noticed only that her hair was definitely shorter than her white counterpart. Then the new girl spoke, her voice both bored and somehow threatening. He was going to have to ask her how she managed that.

"I'm sorry, sir, but our Master has need of this young man. So we'll be taking him now."

"I don't think so." The older man replied calmly, though one could see his eyes flickering between the two new arrivals.

"But we do," The white-clad girl replied, her voice almost identical to her... twin? Naruto felt like slapping himself. Twin girls, dressing in opposite colors, with opposite-styled weapons. It wasn't exactly novel, but it was different enough that it threw him for yet another loop, as typically in the shinobi world twins mimicked each other so the enemy didn't know who they were fighting.

"Uh, don't I get a choice in this?" Naruto asked a little timidly, his confusion showing and raising his hand a bit like he was in school.

"No," said all three of them in unison.

"Fine then," he sulked, crouching with a pall over his head and one finger drawing circles in the dirt.

The white-clad girl finally put her raised leg down. "I am Melanie Malachite, this is my sister, Militia. We were sent by Lord Gressen Asmodai, Head of the devil House of Asmodai, to fetch this young man. We _will_ be taking him."

The orange-haired man finally showed emotion: incredulous bewilderment. " 'Devil House'? Are you high, girl? The only devils in this world are the humans infesting and plaguing it."

"I honestly don't care what your personal views on your fellow humans are. We have been sent to retrieve this man, and you will not stop us." She replied monotonously.

Naruto blinked, the roles were getting corrupted here. First it was him being confused, while the other man was calm and monotone. Now it was the man's turn to be confused, while these girls were dead calm, and apparently monotone... would it be Naruto's turn for the monotone next?

Quite suddenly the man's body jerked into a stiff-as-aboard pose for a moment, before falling to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, the eyes in the orange-haired body fading from concentric-ringed purple to a more normal blue. Naruto blinked rapidly at the sight, exchanging curious expressions with the two girls. He then asked the obvious question.

"What the hell?"

"Ah, that would be my doing," a new, definitely female voice, said as said woman appeared in a flurry of paper. "The idiot never did learn to stop talking while concentrating on his Paths. If he had, I'm not sure I'd have ever seen just how far he'd fallen..."

Naruto's confused expression encompassed the woman in an instant. Long slender legs covered by tight, dark blue pants. Chest covered by a form-fitting black shirt that left her stomach exposed, while swallow-tailing out behind her. Aristocratic neck, angular yet beautiful face, dark blue eye-shadow, and blue hair. To finish the odd look off, she had six silver piercings, one in her lower lip, and five in and around her navel creating a four-point star effect, and one blue paper flower in her hair.

He sighed in exasperation. He was getting really tired from all these people showing up out of nowhere. It was really starting to screw with his equilibrium. "Okay, and you would be...?"

The new woman raised her head slightly in acknowledgment of the valid question. "Konan of Amegakure. I worked with the nutjob here before today. I was under the impression that we wanted to bring true peace to these lands. I was not aware he wanted to commit mass genocide to achieve this, however. Fear and destruction, yes, but not complete genocide. So I slit the throat of the true man behind this body," she nudged the corpse at her feet, " I then decided to crush his eyeballs and set him on fire, followed by collapsing the floor and roof of the cave he was sitting in."

Melanie and Militia blinked, looked at each other, then gave Konan admiring looks. Militia said, "While some would think that was somewhat excessive, I believe I speak for my sister and I when say: that was nicely thorough."

"No kill quite like overkill," Naruto muttered.

"Precisely," Konan said, hearing him with little difficulty.

"And just what do you want in exchange for your..." Melanie hesitated for a moment, searching for the word she wanted, "assistance?"

"First, am I correct in assuming you two are not from this world?" Konan asked calmly.

"Yes. We are devils in service to Lord Gressen Asmodai."

"That's just perfect. Take me with you."

The twins blinked at the odd request, looked at each other, then looked at Naruto. They just stood there, continuing to stare at him, as if waiting for him to say yes or no. He quickly grew uncomfortable.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"Because, due to reasons we are not-" Melanie started to say, but Militia interrupted her.

"Our orders technically make you our boss right now. So we're going to leave this up to you."

More blinking, Naruto glanced at Konan, then looked back at the twins with a shrug. "Why not? Nothing else today has gone right."

"Cynicism does not become you."

Naruto raised an eloquent eyebrow, hysteria barely held at bay within him. "My home is destroyed. I was attacked by a genocidal asshole. Saved by twins in modified maid outfits. Further saved by another woman who could probably give the Shinigami a good run in a staring contest. And now you're saying that for some reason I'm your boss." He paused to let that all sink in before continuing, "So fuck you, I'm going to be sullen, cynical, and sarcastic for a while."

A silence as deep as the grave settled on the group of four for a few minutes. It was shattered by Konan repeating her request.

"So are you going to take me with you or not?"

The twins once again looked at Naruto, who shrugged and said, "Like I said, why not? I don't even know where they want to take me, but if you want to come along, knock yourself out."

"You're taking all of this surprisingly well," Konan commented.

"Really? I just don't think most of it has sunk in yet," Naruto quipped in reply. "I'll probably go back to having my breakdown later, once everything's done and I can grieve without _interruptions_."

All three women had the decency to at least look sheepish. In the span of maybe a half-hour he'd had several upsets to his life. It was only natural that something had to give in the face of it all. It was just his luck that it was his sense of disaster.

"Fair enough," All three women muttered in odd concert.

"So, now that I'm feeling a great deal like I always thought Sasuke might, and I'm not particularly enjoying that I might add, where do you want to take me?" Naruto questioned the twins, a fair amount of sarcasm and angst in his voice.

"Simple," Militia said calmly, ignoring the level of antagonism in the air, "We'll be taking you to the Underworld where our Master lays, dying in his bed. It is he who wishes to see you. And as you have decided, we shall take the woman as well."

Naruto nodded, then asked what seemed to be the most pertinent question in his mind. "And just how are you going to take me to this 'Underworld'? You aren't going to say something like, 'you need to die', right?"

"Of course not," Melanie retorted swiftly, "don't waste our time with these inane questions. We have been watching you for more than two months. We know you aren't as simple-minded as you portray."

He just shrugged. "Alright, alright. Sheesh. That doesn't answer the question though."

"It is fairly simple. We are going to create a one-time-use transfer circle that will transport anyone, or anything, within it to the designated opposite location, and then destroy itself." Militia answered before her irritated sister could go on a rant.

"Transfer circle?" Naruto asked, "is that anything like fuinjutsu?"

Militia shrugged, "I don't know. Does this 'fuinjutsu' work off intricate symbols that are then capable of warping the weft and weave of the world and/or universe?"

"The symbols part, yes. The other? If that's what the user wants, then yes again."

"Huh, then I'd say it's fairly similar."

"Oh. Cool. Mind if I watch the set-up?"

"Be my guest."

As Militia went about making a large circle, easily big enough to hold all four of them inside it, Naruto was taking mental notes. Despite his horrendous grades in the Academy he'd always had a fondness for the intricacies of Fuinjutsu. It came to him easily, along with sword-work, though only Jiraiya had discovered these two hidden talents of his. His Taijutsu was barely passable as brawling, his Ninjutsu ability was only somewhat above average, and his Genjutsu abilities were, for the most part, non-existent. Unfortunately for him, though, Jiraiya was only really competent with Ninjutsu and Fuinjutsu, leaving Naruto to fumble his way through Kenjutsu as much as he could with the use of kunai and an odd sword he'd found as a child.

"You're not even a little curious or shocked about the existence of Devils?" Militia asked as she worked.

"Not really," Naruto replied blithely. "Considering that there are people in this world who can breathe fire and lightning, manipulate water molecules out of the very air itself, or command the wind, a devil is hardly something to bat an eyelash at."

"Ah," she sweatdropped, "you have a point there."

Meanwhile Melanie took a few deep breaths, and then took up a position of watching for possible trouble. She was joined shortly by Konan, who took up a position directly opposite her. Not that Melanie was going to complain, another pair of eyes, especially ones trained like she assumed Konan was, at least halved the amount of work she had to do. Which meant that both women only had to deal with their respective sides, and Melanie could try to come to grips with what she had just learned about Naruto.

She and her twin had spent months watching potential candidates to take their Lord's position. They had finally settled on this Uzumaki Naruto due to him actually possessing all the attributes that Lord Gressen had listed off. Granted, it wasn't a very long list, being mostly about temperament and morals and ethics, with a few physical characteristics that were needed to pull off a convincing enough show, but still... she hadn't expected him to be quite so quick on the uptake. From what she and Militia had seen, he was impulsive, prone to helping others with no thought for reward, unnaturally cheerful, and a natural prankster. Now she had seen him switch into an intelligent, mature young man, with a sense for putting things off until he had the appropriate amount of time for it. This dichotomy was throwing her off enough that she was snapping at him as a way to return him to the knucklehead she had witnessed, and she was honest enough to realize that it wasn't actually going to help her. So now she had figure out a way to fix their already-deteriorating ... well, she wouldn't call it a relationship just yet... "acquaintanceship"?

Yes, that sounded about right. They didn't really know each other just yet, as was evident by her surprise over his cynical side, so they were acquaintances at best. But if all went according to her Master's plans, this young man would become her new Lord, and having bad relations with him would be detrimental, to say the least.

 _'Argh! Why couldn't he be as simple-minded as he seemed? That would have made it so much easier!'_ Melanie thought, _'a fool would be placated with a simple apology! Who knows what a man of depth might want in compensation!?'_

"He won't mind," a sudden voice in her ear startled her.

Melanie spun around, wondering how someone was able to escape her notice, even distracted as she had been. She came face to face with a strange mask, one that resembled a caricature of a cat. The person behind the mask was obviously female, if the body behind a set of gray upper body armor was anything to go by. But before Melanie could speak, the woman had turned away, nearly smacking the white-clad girl with her long purple hair.

Naruto noticed the newcomer's presence, and seemed surprised, " Anbu! Neko!"

Anbu, the elite forces of any village. They obeyed only their own Commander and the Kage of their village, in this case the Hokage. What was she doing here?

The woman, now named Neko, knelt in front of him in an obvious sign of submission. "Uzumaki Naruto, on the final command of the Godaime Hokage, Senju Tsunade, I was to find you. Having succeeded in that, my objective was to change should the village have fallen in that time, to protect and serve you until my death. From this moment on, you are my Hokage, carrying the entirety of Konoha's Will of Fire."

Naruto stepped forward excitedly, "Neko, what about everyone else? Are there any other survivors?"

 _If Neko survived, then surely others-!_

His thoughts were interrupted by a slow shake of the head. When she spoke again, only the barest of tremors in her voice and posture betrayed her emotional state. "I'm afraid not. I was just about to get off medical leave when the destruction started. Tsunade-sama sent me out with my orders just before the village forces attempted their counter-attack."

"No one else?" He whispered.

A choked sob, "No, there was little enough time to send me."

Naruto dropped to one knee in front of her, reached out, grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into his own, her mask falling in her surprise. "I'm sorry. We've both lost everything here. Now all we have left are each other and our memories of our home."

The woman broke down and cried into his shoulder, clinging to him for the comfort of knowing someone shared her grief, that she wasn't alone, that there would be a reason to continue existing. Living. She didn't know Uzumaki Naruto well outside of a few missions given to her by the Sandaime Hokage to protect the boy when he was younger, and the civilians were dumber. And of course there were the rumors she'd heard from other shinobi about his skills. He was a good lad, but he hid most of his emotions behind a mask of cheerfulness. She was on duty the day he started to do that, mask his true emotions. It had startled her so much that she had barely managed to remember to report it. Now he was the last link she had to her home of twenty-four years, and it was her job to serve and protect him.

When she had learned he was outside of the village, being taught by Jiraiya of all people, she had despaired of finding him. Jiraiya was infamous for his ability to move around without a seeming pattern, and even if he was dragging an apprentice around with him, the two of them would be nearly impossible to find. So when she had felt a new, strong chakra source enter the remains of the village, she had been filled with both curiosity and dread. Upon finding that the new signal was her target, Neko had nearly danced for joy. He was here! He wasn't dead! He was... leaving? Oh, HELL NO! Her desperation had caused her to then appear before him and these strange women.

Then what he said hit her, and she pulled back slightly, revealing her heart shaped face with dead-looking brown eyes. "No, Naruto-sama. We have a few other things. Tsunade-sama made certain to send me off with everything she had prepared for you. She meant to give it to you upon your return, but..."

He nodded, a tear trail running down his cheek from one eye, the other suspiciously dry. "-but this all happened. I understand. I'll ask you to hold onto whatever it is for a while longer."

She nodded, clearing her eyes with one hand. When she looked up again, she took note of the oddity of his eyes. "Naruto-sama, why does only one eye weep?"

He raised a hand to his right eye, the one not leaking tears. "Oh, this? It's fake, Neko. One of the enemies I faced last year got a little too creative, and heavily poisoned a rusty knife. I'm rather lucky, apparently, as it missed piercing into my brain by mere millimeters, and it didn't touch outside the eyeball so it didn't scar. Unfortunately as Jiraiya and I were supposed to be _not_ drawing attention to ourselves, I had to get a fake to replace the destroyed eye. Medics capable of transplants or regrowth are rare, ya know?"

He scratched his cheek below the fake eye a little, "If nothing else, it has reinforced the need to pay attention in battles, and to think before I do something. This one injury taught me almost as much as Jiraiya did."

Neko stared in shock. Melanie stared in shock. Militia stared in shock. Konan gaped openly. How could he be so nonchalant about something like that?! He just smirked at them, and they could _feel_ the smugness in his voice.

"Come on ladies, if you're this shocked, think how my opponents of the past year would react knowing they got their asses handed to them by a half-blind man? On the upside, it moves and seems to focus like a normal eye, so it's more than capable of fooling my enemies."

They just stared some more, before Militia shook her head in admiration and went back to work on the transfer circle, making certain it would accommodate yet one more person. If there was one thing she was sure of after observing him, it was that Naruto would never leave a comrade behind. So she may as well see to it that this new woman could come along as well.

Naruto picked up the fallen mask, looked at it for a moment, then to Neko's revealed face. "So, when the mask is off, who are you?"

She snatched the mask out of his hands, a small blush of embarrassment on her cheeks. "Uzuki Yugao," she mumbled.

"Yugao-chan, huh?" She blushed a bit more at the suffix, "Alright! I've decided!" She looked at him curiously, "Unless you absolutely have to, I don't want you wearing that mask! I get the feeling I'm going to need a friend in the days to come, and you and I have at least some history beyond today. I'll need Uzuki Yugao probably as much as I'll need Anbu Neko."

Yugao thought about it for a little bit, and reluctantly had to agree with him. "Very well," she replied as she attached the mask to her waist, next to her weapons-pouch and a large scroll.

Naruto's gaze traveled downward, "I take it that scroll holds the things you were talking about? What Tsunade wanted me to have?"

"Yes."

"Ah." He sounded satisfied, "yeah, hold onto that a while longer."

"As you wish," she took up a position at his side, keeping an eye out for trouble, causing Melanie and Konan to return to doing the same. Naruto on the other hand went back to observing Militia's work, noting the slight changes that were necessary to allow more people. If nothing else, this was a good learning opportunity.

 _*Shudder!* Never thought the day would come when I would_ want _to study something!_

"I'm done," Militia announced, stepping into the circle. "We can go now, Naruto-sama."

Stepping into the circle, Naruto took one last look at the demolished area that had been his hometown. He burned the image into his memory. He would never let another home of his suffer this fate!

 **XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

His vision cleared, and Naruto's first thought was, _that's excessive._

To be fair his sight rested on an enormous mansion of a design he was unfamiliar with, but he was certain it was more than a tad over the top. Soaring turrets, graceful arches, wrought iron fences, stained-glass high windows, a small gathering of maids and butlers...

 _Wait, what?_

"Welcome, Naruto-sama!" Came a chorus of voices as seven people bowed to him. A single older-looking man dressed in a sharp suit stepped forward and went to one knee on the cobblestones at Naruto's feet.

"On behalf of everyone, I welcome you, Naruto-sama. I am Sebas Tian, Head Butler to the Asmodai House. Do you or your companions require anything before you meet with Lord Gressen?"

Naruto blinked, and then looked at both Yugao and Konan. The two women just shook their heads, "Uh, no, it seems we're good right now."

Sebas stood gracefully and with great dignity, "Very good, Naruto-sama. Then if you three would follow me, I will conduct you to my Master immediately."

"Of course, uh.. Sebas-san, was it?"

"Just 'Sebas' is fine, Naruto-sama."

As they walked through the mansion, Naruto and the two kunoichi took in the details of the design. Now, Naruto would be the first to admit that he didn't exactly have a great sense of style, but the number of potential assassination points they passed was simply staggering. It was like the designer couldn't conceive of anyone trying to harm the masters of this place and built it without any kind of practicality outside of the columns needed to bear the weight. Honestly, this place was starting to put him on edge.

"Is everything alright, Naruto-sama?" Sebas asked, head turned just enough to see the unease in his charges.

"I'm well enough, Sebas," Naruto answered, "but as someone trained as a shinobi, an assassin basically, this place is practically a murder fun house. It's a little off-setting."

"Ah," the older man responded with an understanding tone, "I see. Yes, this mansion was designed in the days before assassination was common, and none of the Lords since then have attempted to rectify this. It is of little concern either way," He turned his attention back to the direction they were traveling, "Few have dared to come after any of the Lords in recorded history, and those who have did not live long enough to come near them."

Naruto felt a little impressed at that statement, but could not help asking, "Out of curiosity, why is that?"

Sebas replied evenly, "Because we servants protected them. Even if we had not, there are a few others who stand as Guardians. I have little doubt you will meet them soon enough."

The young man blinked. He was doing that a lot today. He looked at Yugao, "I have the feeling I was just politely told to shut up. Is that right, or am I imagining things?"

The woman just smiled at him slyly, "Yes."

Naruto shook his head, "You are enjoying this far too much, ya know that?"

Her smile didn't change in the least, "Probably, but unlike you I actually had to watch Konoha's destruction, so forgive me my coping mechanism."

Naruto had the grace to look both sheepish and chagrined at that. "Right, sorry Yugao. Considering I'm doing almost the exact same thing I don't really have the right to talk, huh?"

"No, you really don't."

Further conversation was interrupted by coming to a set of double doors, where Sebas knocked once. "Lord Gressen, the twins have returned with the subject."

"Very good, let them in, Sebas," a thin voice responded from the other side of the door.

Naruto shared a quick glance with his two human companions, each of them having the same thought. That voice may have been thin, but there was an undeniable amount of authority in it. That was the sound of someone who regularly gave orders, expecting them to be carried out faithfully, and was not disappointed in their faith. No, that was the voice of a man who knew his servants intimately, and they him, and both sides had bonded so strongly that the very thought of disobedience or betrayal was anathema.

Sebas opened the door and allowed the three ninja to enter, closing the door behind them. The first thing Naruto noticed upon scanning the room was the rich upholstery, from several velvet couches and hanging tapestries to a giant curtained four-poster bed. The second thing he took note of was a beautiful woman in a demure-yet-seductive white dress with two horns that looked somewhat like a crown and twin pairs of black feathered wings on her lower back.

 _Okay, she's beyond good-looking. It's too bad that I'm certain if I looked too long she'd try to castrate me._

A heavy cough brought his attention to the sole occupant of the bed. Naruto took the man in at a glance. Emaciated figure, withered white hair, pale gray complexion, sunken cheeks, and a small amount of blood now spattering the bed sheets that covered him. The man's eyes, however, caught Naruto's attention. A bright, lively and vivid eyes spoke of an unwavering conviction and determination. They told Naruto that this man was alive right now only because of his pure willpower to push back Death's hand.

Naruto swept into a low bow of respect. "Lord Gressen Asmodai, I assume?"

Yugao stared at the young man in shock. She had never heard him be polite to anyone, not even to the Sandaime Hokage who practically adopted him. Heck, according to what she had heard, Naruto wouldn't even show respect to the Daimyo!

Yet here he was, bowing and speaking with a respect and deference that she had not seen or heard of outside of Imperial Courts. _This is Uzumaki Naruto?!_

"A young man with manners. I am surprised! Especially considering that the files I have on your personality say that you wouldn't even use those manners with your own leaders!" A hollow echoing cough came from the old man as he unconsciously echoed Yugao's thoughts, but not answering the question.

Naruto straightened his back and an impish grin crossed his face. "Oh, I have manners. I just reserve them for moments when they are either more deserved or important."

Another dry laugh came from the supposed Lord Gressen. "Well, at least you seem to have a keen grasp of your situation. Something many young devils your age lack these days."

"Wouldn't know, I don't think I've met any young devils." Naruto replied cheekily.

"You have," the woman in white said, her voice a lilting melody that was quite pleasant to hear. "The twins sent to retrieve you are not truly much older than yourself."

"Come now, Albedo," the old man chided, "you know the government's stance on reincarnated devils."

"Yes," she agreed, not bothering to reveal what they were talking about, "but I also know that none in this House are of the same opinion, Gressen-sama."

Well that answered Naruto's question from earlier. This was indeed the Lord Gressen Asmodai he heard the twins talking about earlier. That was nice of her.

"Well, shall we get down to business?" Lord Gressen asked with a certain amount of amusement, "since Albedo has accidentally ruined the fun I was having of keeping you children guessing as to whom I am, I'll just say it; Uzumaki Naruto, I want to formally adopt you as my son, and have you inherit everything I own."

Naruto stared at the elderly man in absolute shock. This was so far away from what he thought was going to happen.

"I'm sorry. What?"

The old man cracked a grin. "I want to adopt you as my son, using an ancient ritual, so that my House is not destroyed and erased upon my death. This means that everything I own will become yours, my servants included, as they have chosen to remain in service to my House."

Naruto blinked. Blinked again. A third time. Then he shook himself, like a dog shaking water from its fur. Too many things. He had far too much on his plate right now.

"I don't suppose I could have time to think about it? I kinda have a lot on my plate at the moment."

"A few weeks, maybe a month at most. I am quite nearly at my limit as it is," Lord Gressen admitted with a small nod. "As it stands I will have to leave the bulk of your education as a devil up to my servants, like Albedo."

Naruto nodded, sketched a half-bow and turned to leave the room, still a little stunned, but half-turned back. "One question, why me?"

Lord Gressen coughed again, blood once again mixing into his otherwise pristine sheets. He gave the young human a wry expression. "My wife was blonde. Bright as a wheat field kissed by the noonday sun. Not unlike your own. My father was possessed of blue eyes, once again not unlike your own. Those physical qualities were necessary to pull off an adoption that doesn't look like an adoption. There can be no true doubt as to your legitimacy to the Asmodai name." He sighed heavily, sinking slightly into the pillows propping him up. He gestured to Albedo, urging her to continue the explanation in his place.

"Of course, if that was all that was required, we could have simply found a devil to easily carry the name. However, Gressen-sama was adamant that the person he adopted should have many of the same morals and ethics he himself possessed. Of all the potential candidates, you, Uzumaki Naruto-sama, have everything he listed. Honor, courage, noble character, kindness, gentle when needed, and capable of a strong stance when you you wish to not be moved." She paused for a moment, "in other words, he wanted a strong person, not merely a powerful one,"

Naruto nodded. That he understood. A person was only truly strong when they had the heart and will to protect someone or something precious. He truly believed that, and apparently Gressen Asmodai was of a similar opinion.

"Very well," the young blonde said. "I'd like to get rid of some of the things on my plate first, but I can guarantee an answer in no more than two weeks."

 **XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

"Naruto, why did you say you could guarantee him an answer so quickly?"

He sighed at Yugao's question. Sebas had seen the three of them to another richly appointed room so they could rest. For some reason Konan refused to leave him, and Yugao felt that her oath to be both his friend and protector meant that she should be near him at all times.

"Because first I need to grieve for Konoha's loss. I estimate that alone will take a few days, maybe a full week."

A blush colored both women's cheeks as they realized that they had actually managed to forget about the village. Yugao mentally kicked herself. It was her home, yet she had forgotten about it in the last hour or so. What kind of person did that make her?

Konan cleared her throat to clear the awkward air. "You said that was first, what's second then?"

He grinned hollowly, not an ounce of amusement reaching his eyes. "I think that I should talk in depth with both of you about this. Both of you followed me away from our world, so I think it only fair that you have a say in where we go from here."

Konan shrugged. "I can give you my answer right now," she said as a single black-feathered wing sprouted from her right shoulder. "I'm at least half of this world, so I don't mind if you take him up on his offer. I'll just keep following you until you do something I don't agree with. Sound good?"

Naruto nodded dumbly. She had a wing? What the heck?!

Yugao had a thoughtful expression. "I think there will be things we need to talk about, but first should come the release of grief."

"Agreed." With that said, he wrapped an arm around each of their necks and began sobbing into their shoulders, letting go of the tears and pain he was barely holding back. It didn't take long for Yugao to join him in tears, burrowing her face into the side of his neck.

Meanwhile Konan just sat there, holding them both. She had no attachment to Konoha, but a single tear did course it's way down her cheek for all the needless lives lost.

None of them noticed when someone entered and left a tray of food and drink behind.

 **XXXXXXXX- Ending Notes -XXXXXXXX**

-Yes, the first two maids are the bouncers from Junior's club in the show RWBY, Melanie and Militiades Malachite.

-Yes, the Maids and the Butler are from Overlord. If you want images of them, go look 'em up, the Plaeiades. I've cut one out, simply because there was no image. I may rectify that if I ever see one.

-Yes, I'll be appropriating some of the Floor Guardians from Overlord as well for the purpose of House Guardians for this fic. Which ones... I'll let be a surprise.

-No, I will not tell you the full Peerage. You'll get the pieces as I bring them in. You can feel free to guess, of course, but don't expect much more than private confirmation should you get a future piece correct.

-I will give you a run-down on the value system I have for this fic: Human = 1 point, Low-class Sacred Gear = 1 point, Middle-class Sacred Gear = 2 points, High-Class Sacred Gear = 3 points, previous skills = 0 points. From there I'll probably just make it up as I go along.

~Dreaming of the Phoenix~

Peerage Hint: Bishop - I get jealous when others tease my perverted dragon.

Dreaming of the Moon


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Alright, I'll admit the response to this story has proven to be much more positive than I thought, given my general bungling of my first one, and the near-abandonment of my second of borrowing Naruto for a devil. That's cool.

Also, I should mention that Naruto will NOT be getting his Bishop in this chapter. Next chapter.

Oh, I feel I should mention: No, the Bishop from Ch01's Hint is not Kuroka. She was the most popular guess from the reviews, but I'm sorry to say it ain't her.

 **Disclaimer:** See Chapter 01

 **Chapter 02: Inheritance and Becoming a Devil**

Naruto woke to bright sunlight directly on his face and groaned. He had an absolutely massive headache, and as he tried to cover his eyes he realized that he couldn't move either arm. Opening one bleary eye and looking to either side his mind bolted awake in panic.

He could feel it now, the soft suppleness of the two naked women using his arms for pillows. He could feel also the stickiness that was unique to dried perspiration and saliva and another liquid he couldn't quite identify. He could smell it, a heavy muskiness in the air. And as he shifted a little to try and get full feeling back in his arms, he could also see it, the sheen that a body got only after an intense level of exertion.

Naruto also saw the beautiful swells of both Yugao's and Konan's naked curves. The supple skin. The toned muscles. The soft hair, and who would have guessed that both their unnatural hair colors were natural? He saw the long shapely legs, intertwined with his own. He felt their breaths on his neck, Yugao to the right and Konan to the left.

Well, he assumed it was Yugao on his right, considering his right eye was fake it was a little hard to discern much on the side of him in the way of colors, or anything for that matter. But if that purple tuft of neatly-trimmed purple hair between those legs that he could just barely make out with his left eye was anything to go by, it should definitely by Yugao on his right. Maybe he should see what could be done about that right eye of his? He really wished he could see out of it right now, if only to better take in the sight of her naked form.

Then he smelled it. From their breath came the slightest scent of something sweet and arousing.

He blinked. _They DRUGGED US?!_

Now Naruto was rather resistant to any form of drug, so to get past that was a feat in and of itself. That being said, he knew he was not immune. Which meant that either they gave him a lot of it, or they managed to increase the potency.

He cast his mind back, looking for his last clear memory. There were flashes of immense pleasure, and scenes that Jiraiya probably would have sold his soul for. Scenes that included both of the women on either side of him doing such lewd and perverse acts that Naruto could feel himself becoming aroused all over again, and only through sheer force of will was he able to calm down and see the images flashing through his mind with a detached clinical perspective.

It seemed that several days had passed, if the vague sense of time lost was any indication. He could even vaguely recall being fed some kind of seafood dish that inflamed his libido to levels that he hadn't known were possible. And there was a drink, too…

"Mmm," came a moan from his right. Looking over he was just in time to see Yugao's eyes flutter open, then snap awake in shock and realization. Then he was witness to the expressions that flitted across her face as she probably took the exact same route to identifying what likely occurred as he had.

They had been trained in the same Academy after all, even if the institution had fallen somewhat from her time in it.

Finally she sighed, and her eyes cleared and looked at him. "So, drugs?"

"Most likely."

"We're going to kill them for it, right?"

"Probably."

"Probably?"

He shrugged as best he could with her still using his arm to rest her head, his features somewhat resigned. "Yeah. I'll at least hold off until I hear their story. Then I thought that you might like to do the job yourself."

"Hm, I'll admit I do feel the need to cut something."

"As long as it isn't me, I'm fine with that."

"Hm," she hummed.

"What do you think they fed us?" Naruto asked, unintentionally staying quiet so as to not disturb Konan and possibly have another woman to deal with right now.

Yugao shrugged one shoulder, "I recall some kind of seafood dish, probably a kind of clam or oyster, which are natural aphrodisiacs, and in our emotional turmoil it wouldn't have taken much for us to make that leap. The drink though…" She trailed off, thinking. "It almost seemed like the stories I've heard of something called Chava. A drink derived from coffee that is said to inflame passions."

"It does," came a sleepy voice from the other side. It seemed that Konan decided to wake up and join the conversation.

"I've had it once before, as a young child. Of course, as a child it does little more than coffee would." She said, sleep still heavy in her voice.

"You're taking this well," Yugao said, eying the other woman suspiciously.

"Yes, I suppose I am," Konan admitted, "But then I was going to suggest something like this. Not the drugs, but the sex and potential pregnancies."

Naruto lost his composure, "What do you mean?!"

The blue haired woman sat up, not bothering to try and hide her naked form, he'd already seen it after all. "As the last of the Uzumaki bloodline, it would be your duty to see it continue. If the ritual Lord Gressen plans to use is the same kind as I'm thinking, then it will most likely replace all of your human blood with his own, which would end the Uzumaki line."

She gave the young man a gimlet stare, "Yugao and I are both human, or half in my case. We are the best, and only real choices, to make certain that the Uzumaki bloodline not only continues, but is not contaminated by other bloodline traits. As far as I know, my own abilities are singular, and not the result of my family's blood. And Yugao is completely human, so I doubt anything weird will pop up in her children."

"Be that as it may," Yugao interrupted, sitting up as well. "I still would have preferred to have a choice in the matter."

"Would you have turned it down?" Konan arched an eyebrow with her question.

Yugao snorted, "No. I've always wanted to be a mother, and with Hayate gone this was likely to be my last chance as a human. Besides," her features softened, "I'm still under oath to serve Naruto. If I can best do that by making sure his bloodline continues, I honestly don't mind as the result is something I want as well."

"Don't mind me," Naruto said from his position still laying on the bed, "It's not as if _my_ opinion matters in this."

"I'm glad you understand," The two women said in unison.

He sighed. This was going to be a long morning….

 **XxXxXxXx**

It really was a long morning. When a man in a red suit and with a long metallic-looking tail named Demiurge showed up to see if everything was alright, the three ninja asked him what was in the food and drink they had been given. Turned out that it was all considered only a minor enhancement for devils and demons, and the staff hadn't known that it would affect humans or half-breeds as strongly as it did. Which meant that Naruto and the others couldn't even be angry with them, as it was a simple mistake. Albeit one that was continued for a couple days before being found out as the culprit, but a mistake nonetheless.

Naruto sighed heavily, he was sitting on a large couch that was obviously placed in the room for some extra comfort. He placed a cup of perfectly ordinary tea, he'd made certain that it had been collected from somewhere _other_ than the Underworld, down on a facing coffee table. "So, two days, huh? We were at it for two days."

He raised his eyes to the two women sitting on either side of him, noting silently that neither had really bothered with putting on more than a small white house robe. Not that he could say anything about that as he hadn't bothered with anything more either. "I don't suppose it's too early to determine if you're pregnant?"

Yugao chuckled, "I'd think so."

Demiurge, who had been standing quietly by the door after explaining the problems, interjected, "Actually there is a small spell that could be used to tell if your eggs have been properly fertilized. Albedo is almost certain to know it."

Naruto blinked, and looked suspiciously at Demiurge's placid face. He sighed again, "She practiced it in the hopes of using it on herself, didn't she?"

The older man looked surprised, "How did you know?"

"There are few reasons a woman that devoted to her lord would know such a spell," Naruto said quietly, his eyes never leaving Demiurge's face so he could watch the expressions flicker across it. It appeared that Demiurge had a horrible poker face.

"And those would be?"

"Number One: she is the recognized nurse or doctor of the House," Naruto replied seriously, holding up one finger to emphasize which point he was on. "Now, given her interactions with Lord Gressen, this is not impossible, as I'm fairly certain that she has not left his bedside for anything but necessary breaks. Showers and clean clothes and whatnot. However, I've seen many a nurse and doctor, mostly for reasons beyond my control and not of my own choice. She does not give off the feel of one."

Demiurge nodded with a faint smile, "You are correct. She is not our doctor or nurse. Please, continue."

Drawing in a deep breath, Naruto raised a second finger. "Number Two: she is secretly, or not so secretly, in love with someone and hopes to conceive. Thus she would learn the spell in question in order to be certain as quickly as possible that it is done. Again, given her interactions with Lord Gressen, and doubting her leaving of his side for anything but those necessary breaks, I would assume she is in love with him, and hoped that he would give her a child."

"Wait," Yugao interrupted, "Albedo is in love with Lord Gressen? Are you sure?"

Naruto nodded, "Demiurge's face gives me all the confirmation I need. He has a horrible poker face."

Said demon smiled widely. "Or I know how to use my expressions to mislead people into believing what I wish them to," he said slyly, then raised a hand to forestall any comments. "However, in this case you are correct. Albedo did indeed learn the spell in hopes that with the passing of Lady Kethry, Gressen-sama's wife, that he would deign to turn his love to her and grant her a child of her own.

"But it was not to be," Demiurge continued, "Gressen-sama was far too in love with Lady Kethry to fall in love that way again. Certainly he loves Albedo, but as a father would dote on a daughter. It is not as she wished."

"I see," Naruto murmured. He stared at his cup of tea for a moment longer, then looked at Konan and Yugao, getting nods from them. "Then please call for her. As much as I don't like how it came about, the continuation of my human line was one of the biggest things on my mind."

Konan stared, "Then why were you so against it earlier?"

"I wasn't against having children as a human," Naruto shrugged, "But I had wanted to discuss it with you two first on how to go about it. I wasn't necessarily going to propose to use your wombs for it though."

Yugao smacked him upside the head and scolded him. "You little fool, if you hadn't brought it up, I'm sure Konan would have. And I know that if I'd been given the choice, I'd have done it anyway, just as I said a while ago."

She glared at him for a moment longer, then dropped her gaze, "Though I'll admit I would have liked to _have_ that choice. It is inconsequential now. What has been done is done."

Naruto rubbed his head where she hit him. Dammit, she hit hard! _Although,_ he mused, _She still doesn't hit as hard as Sakura._

"Ano-" Demiurge sounded a little confused. "Are you three really doing alright? I'd heard that humans tended to need a long time to get over their grief…"

All three of them gave him ruefully amused gazes, their previous discussion put aside for the time being, and Naruto answered him. "All ninja are trained from a young age, Demiurge. This training includes being able to push past grief, and to get it all out in one go so it doesn't consume us. It's a second-year subject, but it goes all year, and culminates in the raising of a pet and then killing it.

"I got kinda lucky in that," Naruto mused, "I got a rather ornery chicken that tasted great as a soup ingredient."

Yugao looked at him strangely, "A chicken? My class received hamsters."

Konan answered softly, "I didn't go through an academy, but I did have to kill a pet dog I had as a child so I didn't starve. I suppose the situation for me was just harsh enough that I learned the lesson instinctively."

Naruto shrugged, "Either way, ours was a 'kill or be killed' world. You grew up fast or you didn't live to grow old."

The two women nodded. They could easily agree with that. Demiurge, however, looked interested. A world where humans were trained in such a way could be a good place to harvest more servants or other materials necessary to help bring House Asmodai back into glory. He was his Master's Bishop, his every thought was on how to bring further glory to his Master's name. Even now as that Master lay dying in bed, if Demiurge could bring more glory to his name, then the demon-turned-devil would do just that.

"Now," Naruto continued, bringing the man's attention back to the present, "If you don't mind, Demiurge, would you mind getting Albedo for that spell while these two and I discuss a few things?"

"Ah, important secret things, I suppose?" Demiurge asked with an amused smile.

"Not really secret, but not really for outsiders either," Came a somewhat expected response.

"Very well, but please do not leave the room, we cannot risk any potential spy seeing you before the ceremony is complete." With that the man gave a small bow and left the room.

Once the doors closed, Naruto stood up and moved to look out a large bay window. "Assuming the 'leave behind Uzumaki children' thing is taken care of, I suppose the next thing to wonder is if this ritual will fulfil the requirement of death that could possibly free the Kyuubi from the Seal."

Konan and Yugao exchanged surprised glances. They hadn't thought of that.

"It's possible, I suppose," Konan said lowly. "I'll admit I don't really know much about the rituals of this world, mostly due to my parents dying when I was so young, so I had to try and piece together things from what they left behind, but I have to imagine that it won't so much 'kill' you as 'remake' a portion of you."

"It would be a good idea to find out for certain though," Yugao cautioned.

"The best person to ask would be Lord Gressen himself," Naruto mused aloud, one hand coming up to lay on the window frame.

"That is certainly true," Konan muttered, leaning back into the plush couch.

"Would not one of the servants possibly know?" Yugao questioned.

"I suppose," Naruto allowed, his gaze roaming over what he could see of the outside. It looked like they were placed in a room facing an inner courtyard which was dominated by a rather breathtaking fountain and surrounding hedge maze garden. He would be the first to admit that he didn't know much about flowers, but even he could see plants in bloom that either did not or could not exist in his world.

That black and grey rose for example…

He shook his head, no time to be wool-gathering. His right hand came up to trace the scar over his right eye. "Maybe I should see what can be done about this," He muttered softly.

Ever since he had lost that right eye, he had been slightly jumpy whenever someone or something came at him from that side. He assumed that his old teacher, Kakashi, had a similar problem with his covered Sharingan. Hypersensitivity could prove to be a problem eventually. His mind could only stay on alert like this for so long before it overloaded and caused an issue.

He wasn't quite as quiet as he had thought apparently, as Yugao voiced an opinion."You mean your eye? Yes, that could prove problematic later."

"I agree," Konan said quietly, "While it's impressive that you've managed for this long, the added level of paranoia can't be mentally healthy."

Naruto shrugged, a wry grin on his lips. "We lived in a world where just being associated with a particular village meant you could be killed at any time. Paranoia was every ninja's best friend. Though you aren't wrong," He conceded, "The human brain can only handle so much. I'm fairly lucky in that regard, as the Kyuubi seemingly doesn't want a braindead container, so its been keeping my brain from overloading so far, but only time will tell how long that lasts."

Yugao looked a little uncomfortable. "You mean you talk to it?"

Naruto turned his wry grin to her, "Not so much talk, as I get vague impressions. Any time my ability to become a braindead sack of useless flesh comes up, I get the distinct feeling of annoyance."

"Oh." Well that seemed to make her more at ease.

"Though we have had a few conversations," Naruto admitted blithely, waving one hand dismissively in the air. "Most of them boiled down to Kyuubi trying to either piss me off enough to remove the seal, or it using the hypocrisies of our world to shame me into releasing it."

Konan frowned a bit, "That sounds remarkably human-like. As if it really understands us."

"Oh, it understands us," Naruto stated firmly, "Never think otherwise. I managed to wriggle out of it that it has been sealed in at least two other Jinchuuriki before me, and through interacting with them it learned a very great deal. Enough that I almost fell to one of those shaming tactics."

"What?!" Yugao exclaimed.

"Yeah, something about missing the feel of the wind and sun on its fur, and just being able to lay in the shade of an enormous tree for hours for a nap." He said, taking a seat on a couch facing the two women. "I think that may have been one of the few times Kyuubi was being honest with me."

Both women looked as if someone had hit them with a club. The idea that the Kyuubi, the most dangerous and powerful creature that either knew existed, could act like a regular animal and just enjoy the wind and sun… it was too surreal for them.

Naruto gave them an amused smile, "You both seem to have forgotten the legend. The Bijuu were supposedly made from the power of an ancient beast of destruction, and the Rikudo Sennin's imagination. Having been created by a man, however powerful he might have been, was bound to rub off on all of them to some degree."

"Naruto-sama is correct," A soft voice interrupted, and they took note that they were no longer alone in the room as Albedo continued. "Any creation will unconsciously take on aspects of its creator. It is the same for creations of energy as much as of flesh, for the creator must impart some of themselves each time. This is a basic Tenet of Creation in all worlds."

"Ah, Albedo-san," Naruto said easily, taking her presence in stride, "What timing you have. I take it Lord Gressen is stable for a while? Or at least in no danger of passing while you are gone?"

"Yes, Naruto-sama," The beautiful dark-haired woman replied, "I believe you asked for me?"

"Yes, I was told you know a spell or technique to determine pregnancy as early as conception?" He questioned gently.

"Indeed, I have such a spell," She confirmed. "I assume you wish me to use it upon these two women?"

"If you would be so kind," He demurred, "Then we have a few questions about the ritual that Lord Gressen wishes to use. I don't suppose you would know someone we could ask? I wouldn't wish to tax Lord Gressen's remaining strength unduly."

"I myself should have the answers you seek," She said as she moved over to Konan and Yugao, her right hand lighting up with a soft grey glow. She paused with her hand a little ways from Konan's belly as the blue haired woman tensed slightly, "Do not worry, even we devils would not harm an unborn babe."

Reassured, Konan relaxed and let Albedo place the glowing limb upon her. A moment later Albedo moved over to Yugao, repeating the glowing spell as it seemed to have a one-charge use. Albedo nodded and stepped back to face the three humans.

"Well, the news is good, Naruto-sama. They are certainly pregnant, and while it is currently too early to tell, even with magic, just how many children will be born, it seems as though they will both bear you twins," The white-garbed woman said with a small smile.

Albedo would admit that she didn't much care for humans, but she was a woman who had longed for a child of her own. As such, knowing new life would be coming soon was something she delighted in. She'd just have to make sure Demiurge knew that both the women and the eventual children were off-limits to his experiments, or he may end up doing something without the Lord's permission.

Whether that Lord would be Gressen-sama or Naruto-sama, it didn't matter in Albedo's mind. The Lord was the Lord. And she served the Lord of House of Asmodai. If that meant keeping two women and their children safe from Demiurge's experiments, then so be it.

"Albedo-san?"

Hearing her name snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned her attention fully upon the blonde young man. He was handsome enough, she supposed, in a feral way. Bright cerulean blue eyes, sun-kissed golden and untamed hair, tanned skin from time spent working in the sun, and those three whisker-like markings on each of his cheeks. A strong jawline, and high cheekbones, as though chiseled from stone, and a powerful body with a distinct V-shape in the abdomen that many a man would probably kill for. This was a body meant to be used, not merely displayed.

 _The body of a warrior_ , came the unbidden thought.

But he wasn't her beloved Gressen. She may end up serving this young man, but she doubted if she would ever move on from her current silent love for her Master. Gressen saved her from a life on the streets in despair after her first Lord was killed in another realm.. For that alone she would always love him.

"Yes, Naruto-sama?" She queried.

"I was asking about the ritual," Naruto replied, easily brushing off her previous inattention. "Specifically what it all entails and what happens."

"Ah," She paused to collect her thoughts,"It's relatively simple in theory. Gressen-sama will bond your blood with a sample of his own and that of Kethry-sama which was kept in case of an emergency. In essence it will rewrite your genetic structure from your current parents, to that of Lord Gressen and Lady Kethry, instantly reincarnating you as their child."

"Will it count as dying?" He asked, keeping a sharp eye on her expression.

She shook her head lightly. "No. Your soul will not leave you for any length of time, it will simply be remaking you, adding or subtracting as needed to your DNA. As far as I know the only thing of yourself that will be unaffected will be your soul."

"Could it repair things that are currently missing?" Yugao questioned, thinking of his right eye.

Albedo paused to think, and then shrugged minimally. "I shouldn't think so. Why?"

Yugao gestured at Naruto, "His right eye is false, so I wondered if that would be fixed."

Albedo gained an understanding look. "Unfortunately, I don't think it will. It is much the same as the spell used by Ajuka Beelzebub in his Evil Pieces to resurrect other species as devils." She held up a hand to forestall their questions, "Which is something that I will explain at a later time, should Naruto-sama accept and become Gressen-sama's son. Suffice it to say, that when those items are used, the people they are used on do not regain lost limbs. As such, I doubt it would repair a lost eye."

Naruto had an understanding look on his face. "I see, this literally remakes me from Uzumaki Naruto into Naruto Asmodai. And these Evil Pieces you mention are something you don't really want information on getting around, right?"

Albedo nodded softly with an apologetic smile. "Yes."

He waved off her unsaid apology, "There's no need to be sorry, Albedo-san. These are things I need to know, so when the unexpected comes up I'll be ready for it."

She smiled in amusement. "You say that like it's a foregone conclusion that something strange will happen."

He shrugged and grinned. "You could say that. Trouble seems to follow me like a lost puppy, and delights in causing me frustration like a scorned lover."

Albedo blinked, then looked to the other two women. They nodded. Yugao had watched him as a child, and witnessed the trouble he got into on a regular basis. Whereas Konan had read the _many_ reports the Akatsuki spies had found on him, and had honestly found it endearingly funny how much trouble seemed to love the boy.

She mentally shrugged. It wasn't her problem. She decided to voice a question of her own, "Naruto-sama? You mentioned you had a great many things on your plate that you needed to take care of. How are those coming along, if I may ask?"

Naruto blinked, then grinned again. "Well, you've answered two of my problems already. One was that I, as the last known Uzumaki, had a duty to leave behind children to continue my line. As you've stated, this ritual will mean I am no longer an Uzumaki save in spirit, which means that I would have had to get at least one woman pregnant."

He nodded to the two ladies across from him, "Thanks to your serving staff unwittingly drugging us, that has been settled. The next on my list was that this ritual not kill me, as I have another being bound to me by a powerful Sealing technique, and I really don't want to simply let it out like that. That could prove to be more than a bit of trouble."

Her rueful expression said that she felt this might be something of an understatement, and he just laughed at it. "The next item on my list was my missing right eye, which I will be looking into replacing with a working eye after the ritual."

Albedo blinked, "Why wait until after?"

"It's quite simple," he said, "It has to do with the following item on my list. I have to look at a scroll my Hokage and grandmother-figure left for me. It may or may not contain an answer to that problem, and if it does, I don't necessarily want to lose a gift like that because I was being hasty."

"Ah," She murmured. What else could she say? It was another inheritance of his, and he had every right to see it first. There was no doubt some incredibly sentimental things in there that he could probably only access as a human.

"I was wondering if you'd remember that," Yugao grumbled. She'd lugged it out of Konoha's destruction with her, he'd better look in it! She wanted to know what was in there too, dammit!

"Eh-heh," He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry, Yugao. I was originally intending to get to it right after the grief session, but then all of this other stuff came up."

 _Okay, yeah, that's a valid excuse_ , Yugao thought to herself with a small sweatdrop.

Albedo cleared her throat softly, just enough to get their attention. "If that is all, Naruto-sama, I shall return to Gressen-sama's side."

"Of course, Albedo-san," he smiled and waved aside her concerns.

"I shall have the Malachite sisters on standby outside the room should you need anything, Naruto-sama." With a small bow, Albedo left the room.

Naruto sighed, and leaned back into the couch. If not for her willingness to help he'd have thought Albedo didn't like him. He could understand it a fair bit, she was in love with her currently dying master, and Naruto was being given time to get his shit together before becoming the old devil's new son. That was bound to throw just about anyone for a loop, so rather than dislike him she was simply keeping her manner calm and respectful. It wasn't so different from how humans would act, so he was hardly going to hold it against her.

Besides, she was _very_ nice eye candy. Even if he would likely never touch her in that way, he was hardly stopped from appreciating the view. Much like a bonfire, he could admire, but he wasn't going to touch. He also wasn't about to go and peek on her in the bath, unlike his teacher Jiraiya, Naruto had limits to how far he'd go to appreciate the female form. If they showed it willingly, such as a personal choice of dress, then he would look, admire, and move on unless they showed an interest in something more...

A thunk pulled him from his contemplations, and he looked down to see Yugao had plunked the large scroll on the small table that sat between the two couches. He looked up a bit and saw her glare, daring him to avoid it any longer. With another sigh, this time one of resignation, he reached out and opened the scroll.

Lines of neat and orderly fuinjutsu script met their eyes, and Naruto snorted. Fuinjutsu was always something of a passion of his, though most wouldn't have believed it. He easily recognized the locks that could only be undone by either a specific person (himself) or a certain family line (Uzumaki). Shaking his head, he muttered about blood seals, and bit his thumb. Running the bloodied digit with a small amount of chakra (people always forgot that part of the sealing, and he never did understand why. Even if it was tagged to a bloodline, it still required an active amount of chakra to unlock them!) and in response two folders, a jar of some kind of murky liquid, and several scrolls (some rather large) appeared.

Naruto blinked. "Any idea where to start?"

Shrugging, Yugao picked up one of the folders. This was going to take some time, so she figured she might as well start with the first thing she saw.

 **XxXxXxXx**

"Are you certain about this, Gressen-sama?" Albedo asked her bed-ridden master anxiously. "There is still time, we don't need this human. We could-"

Gressen raised one of his emaciated hands to stop her impassioned speech. "No, Albedo, we do not have time." He coughed heavily, bloody spittle flying from his lips. "I'm afraid I was very much speaking the truth to young Naruto. I have at most a few weeks left, and that is only because I refuse to die just yet!"

"But, Gressen-sama," This time it was Demiurge who spoke up from his position at the foot of the bed, "This young man seems to be utterly normal. Aside from an odd feeling of a passive Sacred Gear, I feel nothing from him."

Gressen chuckled weakly, and turned his attention to the third member in the room. "And you, Cocytus? From what little you have seen of this young man, have you taken his measure?"

Cocytus was a hulking specter of blue armor with four distinct arms, and an obvious insect-like appearance. Yet despite this odd form, the being's very posture screamed that they were a warrior with few peers. The ever-present halberd clasped in one of their right hands didn't hurt that image either.

Though the three eyes on either side of his head and randomly clicking mandibles were somewhat unnerving to view at first.

A blast of cold air escaped the giant figure, approximating a sigh perhaps? His voice, for the creature was obviously male even with his appearance, was rough and had a heavy amount of vibration in it. "I cannot say for certain, but he has the trust of his two companions, and he has the bearing of one who has seen battle. With his world's primary profession being assassination, I would surmise that he has had to learn how to hide his very presence, lest he give himself away. It would hardly do for him to fail simply because his targets felt him coming."

"AH~!?" Came a disbelieving female voice from the shadows to the left of the large bed. A young woman with pale skin and bright red eyes appeared wearing a type of Gothic Lolita style dress. Her otherwise pretty face was screwed up in a disdainful sneer.

"What are you talking about you big cockroach?" The girl said sharply, "Are those six eyes of yours only for decoration? There's nothing of the warrior about the kid! Hiding himself? I say that he simply has nothing to show!"

Gressen chuckled softly, "So you don't see it either, my dear Pawn, Shalltear? You are in agreement with Albedo and Demiurge?"

Shalltear's head rose in a semi-defiant manner and nodded resolutely. She would never defy or dispute her Master, who had taken in a young Shinso(1) like her, and then cared for her like she was his own daughter. She loved and respected Gressen too much to ever shame him in such a way, but on the matter of this young human boy…

Gressen chuckled again, "And you, my fierce and loyal Knight, Cocytus? Would you not say the boy is a fit successor?"

Cocytus came to attention as he was addressed by his Lord. "I do not agree with the others, my Lord. I see great potential within him. I suspect, however, that he has been hindered greatly in his early development, as his walk is at once the confident stride of a young man, and the slightly hesitant step of an abused child. He is a contradiction, my Lord, and I would not pass my judgment until I know more."

"Abuse?" Demiurge wondered out loud, his voice cutting before Cocytus could wax eloquently as he was wont to do. "Why would they abuse a young boy? Even my own original demon race would never harm a child, for they are a precious resource for the future. Perhaps it would behoove us to take a closer look at the Malachite sisters' report."

Albedo sighed and shook her head slightly, "It's no use. They also speculated about possible childhood trauma, but they were unable to find out a reason for it. Although," She brought one finger to her lips in thought, "The young man did ask an interesting question earlier. About whether or not the ritual would 'kill' him or not. He seemed secretly glad when I told him that it wouldn't."

Gressen's eyes cut to her sharply. "He was curious about it counting as dying?"

Albedo backed up half a step in surprise at the demanding tone in her master's voice. "Yes, and although he didn't go into detail, he did say that he had a being of power bound to him and he didn't want to simply release it like that.."

Gressen's left arm draped across his eyes with a rustle of cloth. His time at war in the Ainz Ooal Gown military company came in handy in situations like this. The level of strategy necessary to ensure every member of the original 41 man squad came out of each engagement alive was incredible, and Gressen had been the company's primary strategist. His companions had jokingly called him "Momonga" after an ancient general of House Beelzebub who was said to plan so far in advance that some of the things he had contingencies for still hadn't happened. Call Gressen what you will though, he was rarely ever unprepared.

But this young man asking about death… it wasn't really unusual, humans were much more aware of their impending doom than most other races due to their naturally shorter life spans. However, for some reason this seemed at odds with what little Gressen had seen of this young man. A timid and slightly scared youth that hid behind a well-constructed mask of brash confidence. A mask that may eventually end up becoming truth with enough time.

Then there was to comment about a powerful being...

After several minutes, Gressen's arm moved away from his eyes. "It is possible that there is something that can only be fulfilled by the boy's death. Something that he dearly wishes not to come to pass. And if it is the release of a powerful destructive force, I can certain understand his reticence."

Nods of understanding came from all four of the people around his bed. His next words disrupted their trains of thought.

"But that is not our concern unless he makes it so!" Gressen stated firmly, his tone brooking no tolerance for dissent. "If, and only IF, he comes to us about it, will it become our problem. Until then it is best left in the hands of those three, who presumably have much greater knowledge than we. I say now, let none push any of them into telling us. This is my verdict, and it is final!"

All four dropped to one knee, a hand coming up to each of their hearts in fealty, and Albedo spoke for them all as was her place as Queen of Gressen's peerage. "As our Lord commands."

Suddenly a crippling weight settled on the entire mansion, forcing every servant flat to the floor. Even Albedo and the others in Gressen's room could not rise against the pressure, a power that clearly came from the direction of the room the three humans had been given. But before any of them could get a grasp on just what the pressure was outside of utter fury, it was gone as if it had never been.

A stunned Albedo was slow to pull herself back to her feet amidst a sound she didn't immediately recognize. After a few moments she finally pulled her scattered wits together to realize that the sound was Gressen's throaty laughter, a sound that brought both joy and confusion to her heart. It was weaker, more … arid than she remembered, but it was definitely his laugh!

"Weak is he?! Nothing special?! What say you now, Albedo, Demiurge, and Shalltear?! That was the unbridled fury the man I have chosen as my Successor! Would you say he is worthy now?" Gressen demanded, still laughing like a madman, his eyes burning feverishly. It was the gaze of man who had been given a gift far beyond his greatest expectations, and his people shivered to see it.

"W-what was that?" Shalltear's shaken voice asked the question that was on their minds.

Gressen calmed down quickly enough, a sudden heavy coughing fit helped in that regard. As he laid back in his propped pillows, he answered them. "That was undoubtedly young Naruto's unfiltered killing intent. Something has managed to rouse the sleeping dragon, and I'm quite glad it wasn't me!"

Albedo's body still shook a little as she tried to calm her nerves. "Are you saying that was the anger of a single human boy?"

"Yes, Albedo," Gressen sighed, his eyes closing, "That was all that one young man. Now, I need to rest. Wake me only if you need me."

The four Guardians bowed low to the now-sleeping figure, and gently let themselves out into the hall, Albedo closing the door behind them. Then she spun to her fellows peerage members, a fire burning in her golden eyes.

"Alright, you all heard Gressen-sama's orders. And while I will abide by them I want to know what so infuriated that human. Cocytus!" She faced the hulking warrior squarely, "I think that you might have the best chance currently, as one warrior to another. That bond of unspoken martial brotherhood may help you connect enough for him to speak with you."

The Knight just nodded. That unfiltered killing intent, he had felt a great sadness behind the anger. As a fellow warrior, the least he could do would be to lend an ear. And with this event firmly placing the young human as Gressen-sama's Heir, Cocytus realized that he should get to know his new Prince.

"Demiurge!" Albedo continued, never losing stride, "While we cannot importune the human to share his past with us, I feel we would be doing our Lord a disservice not knowing more. So you are to seek out anything of use from his former world, every possible rumor."

Demiurge nodded, his mind already whirling. This was a mystery, and he did so love solving mysteries. The fact that it was about their new prince just made it all the more imperative to get to the bottom of it.

"Shalltear," Albedo said, "After informing Sebas about Gressen-sama's orders, I need you to delve into the library. Look for possible reasons why one human''s death could mean so very much."

"And you?" Shalltear asked slyly, but not without venom.

"I will stay with Gressen-sama in case he wakes and requires anything." Came the anticipated response. The two of them had been hard rivals for Gressen's affection, but when Lady Kethry came into the picture Shalltear had decided that she could live with being like his daughter.

"Of course you will," Shalltear commented snidely, but quietly. She left quickly. She had her assignment, and only her King, her beloved Lord Gressen, could countermand Albedo's orders. _Ah well, at least Sebas is tolerable. Though I still feel like giving him the abilities and position of a Rook was going somewhat overboard. The man could destroy buildings with his punch before that! The strength boost from the Rook piece was entirely unnecessary!_

She was already halfway down the hall before she remembered something odd, _Demiurge said the boy has a passive Sacred Gear? We probably should have asked which one… Meh, it won't matter._

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto sat quietly in a cross-legged position at the base of the large fountain in the inner courtyard. He had jumped from the third floor window of the room he shared with Yugao and Konan to get there with as little fuss as possible after his not-so-little outburst. Now he was calming himself through meditation, an art he hadn't yet mastered but did find relaxing.

He needed the calming influence of his meditation due to the information he had just received from those folders Yugao had decided to look through, folders that were much more than simple dosiers. They were on his parents, and while he was happy to finally have their names, and even pictures, he was incensed about one thing: his father was the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. The very man who placed the Kyuubi within Naruto at birth, was his father? His own father had doomed him to a life of misery and hatred at the hands of ignorant villagers who understood Sealing about as well as Maito Guy understood fashion?!

He shoved that to the side, his mind able to process things easier at the moment. He decided to focus on what he had learned about his mother. Uzumaki Kushina, a fiery-tempered woman with bright red hair and violet eyes, but a fierce friend. The only known survivor of the lost Uzushiogakure, homeland of the Uzumaki Clan, who had made a name for herself even in the Academy as the Red Hot Habanero.

She was also, not so coincidentally, the previous container for the Kyuubi. His mother had held the powerful fox before him, and apparently it had been because no one but an Uzumaki could properly contain it. Something to do with their naturally high levels of chakra, he hadn't been able to read much more than that. His anger at being _used_ , his entire life, even his own Mother's life, by Konoha and the old Hokage, who he had considered like a grandfather, just to hold in a beast of power, became too much and had leaked out. Which had forced him to either vent it, which would probably have been a bad idea, or to find a better way of releasing the rage.

Admittedly he wasn't really thinking clearly at that moment, which was yet another reason he needed to cool off. He knew, subconsciously, that he was missing something, but he also managed to figure out that he needed to calm down before he'd be able to deal with anything more.

 _Alright.. Calm down Naruto. You can deal with this, it's no worse than those assholes who tried to teach you that your name was Demon. … Let's start with the objective facts, just like Jiraiya and that old toad Pa taught you. First, Mom was Uzumaki Kushina. She was brought to Konoha shortly before the fall of Uzushio specifically to become the container for the Kyuubi, taking over from Senju Mito, formerly Uzumaki Mito. She was later installed into the Konoha Shinobi Academy, in the same class as a number of my own classmate's parents, and Namikaze Minato, who later became the Fourth Hokage._

 _Putting him aside for the time being, once Mito passed away, Mom was pretty much left with only her distant cousin, Senju Tsunade, for a family tie. So she did what any child does, made friends. Some were of her year, some weren't. The most notable was a girl maybe a year older by the name of Uchiha Mikoto, who would later become the mother of Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke._

 _Put them aside as well for later contemplation. Her life was fairly normal, mostly because only a few people knew she was the fox's prison. Though she was kidnapped some time shortly after becoming a Genin by Kumo- bastards! -and was rescued by Minato, which is probably what led to their eventual marriage. There wasn't much information on the time between that and my eventual birth, but it's safe to say she was involved at least partly in the Third War, and was more than likely responsible for teaching Minato the seal-work necessary to modify the Nidaime's Hiraishin technique so it could be used with those special kunai we learned about in school._

 _Kushina died at the age of 24, a few hours after giving birth. The suspected cause, aside from a massive hole in her body when found, was likely the post-birth removal of the Kyuubi from the seal she held it in. Still, a dying woman was capable of holding the great beast at bay long enough for the Fourth to seal it away again, this time within her newborn son. That's a feat that any child can be proud of._

 _The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, died as well, also at the age of 24. The suspected cause, once again aside from the giant hole found in his torso, was likely the price of the Shiki Fuin and Hakke Fuin Shiki, both of which were powered by the summoning of the Shinigami, who is said to take the soul of its summoner as payment._

 _This in turn left the newborn Uzumaki Naruto to the fumbling incompetence of the aged and retired Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Hiruzen, in his naivete, felt that the village would see the young child as a hero, and announced the successful sealing of the Fox to the masses. This was an unmitigated disaster, as the raw pain of loss was still rampant among Konoha's populace, and thus began the series of events that would shape Uzumaki Naruto's early years of living torture…_

Naruto shook his head, _Wait, I'm getting off track! Can't let my anger get away from me. Or_ with _me for that matter. Moving on…_

 _Namikaze Minato, beloved Yondaime Hokage of Konoha. .. Surprisingly little hard information on him. Orphan of the minor Namikaze ninja family, a supposed off-shoot of the Senju.(2) Given the hair and eye colors prevalent in the Namikaze, it's likely they split some time back and interbred with possible other clans. In either case, whether an off-shoot or simply a little-known family, the Namikaze were said to have been favored by the god Susanoo, and gifted with powerful storm-like chakra. -Side Note: might be why the Rasengan is more destructive in my hand than it was for Ero-Sennin- As the only well-known Namikaze, Minato was put on a pedestal early in his career when he was acknowledged as Jiraiya's apprentice and successor of the Toad Summoning Contract._

 _Past all of that there isn't much. Hero of the Third War, creator of the Rasengan, and given the credit for the Hiraishin despite his version being just a rather drastic modification of the Nidaime's original technique. Yet despite the lack of information, he was heralded as Konoha's strongest Hokage, and held in nearly the same amount of awe as a god. Died sealing the Kyuubi away into his infant son, along with the child's mother, leaving the boy with no defense against possible machinations. Noted as being an idealist, he most likely believed that the people of Konoha would proclaim the child as a hero, and treat him as a near-god. *Snort*_

Another shake of the head, _Just how stupid can a person be? I know I wasn't always the sharpest kunai in the bunch, but at least I had the excuse of being taught improperly! He was simply an idealistic moron. Then again, he was taught by Jiraiya straight out of the academy, so I suppose some of Ero-Sennin's personality would rub off somewhere along the line. But did it have to be an utter belief in humanity?_

 _Lesson learned,_ Naruto thought bitterly, _Jiraiya's dream was admirable, but about as likely to happen as seeing a pink hippo with purple polkadots dancing the Samba! I think.. I need to find my own path… though I should probably also talk to the Toads, don't want to just up and vanish on them. If they ever found me again Ma would never let me hear the end of it! But I'll need more space… Heh, guess I'm not so pissed at Dad anymore if I can worry about Ma getting angry with me._

With a firm nod, Naruto looked up and saw the two women above him gazing down with worried expressions. He just waved up at them and saw the worry replaced with relief. Standing, he placed a foot on the wall and began to walk back up to them.

 _Perhaps one of the most useful skills, the Tree Walking Exercise._ He mused to himself, _it is such an undervalued skill, but it really should have been taught in the Academy._

When he returned to the room, he took note of a new… person? Could he call this giant ice-blue beetle-thing a person? He supposed he had to, considering just how much other weird shit was going on lately.

He nodded in acknowledgement of the newcomer's presence. "And you are…?"

A blast of frigid air preceded a deep and slightly grating voice. "Cocytus, Knight of Lord Gressen Asmodai."

"Knight?" Naruto wondered under his breath, then he just shrugged. "Well, nice to meet you I guess."

"Indeed, the pleasure is mine," Cocytus replied formally. "I wonder if you would indulge this warrior's curiosity as to what it was that angered you so much that your killing intent could be felt throughout the mansion?"

Naruto blinked, then sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, sorry about that. Just a bit of information I wasn't expecting that caught me off guard. I'm good now. Oh!" He slammed one hand into an open palm, "I don't suppose there's a large, like enormous, area that I could borrow for a bit? Preferably out of easy sight?"

"Out of sight?" Cocytus let loose another blast of frigid air, "What for?"

"Oh, nothing much," Naruto prevaricated, waving a hand like the subject was of little importance. "I just need to contact a group of friends, and some of them are rather large. Easily taller than what I've seen of this mansion, come to think of it. It's just that I don't really want to incite a possible panic."

If Cocytus had eyelids he had little doubt he'd be blinking. He'd only heard of a few creatures that would easily stand taller than the Asmodai Mansion, most of them were relegated to mythology. Then again, he himself was, by mythology, supposed to be one of the areas of the Underworld of Greek Myth, a frozen wasteland no less.(3) Given that fact, he guessed that he shouldn't be surprised that there could be others.

He just hoped it wasn't theHekatonkheires.(4) He didn't want to be the one to explain why those monsters had shown up!

Cocytus nodded, "There is a substantial space in the mountain ravine behind the mansion. Shall I take you there?"

"Sounds promising,"Said Naruto with a grin, "Lead on."

 **XxXxXxXx**

The area Cocytus led the three shinobi to was indeed large enough for Naruto's needs. The fact that it was also an enclosed valley that was owned exclusively by House Asmodai made the space practically ideal.

Flipping through the required handseals, Naruto slammed his hands into the ground. " _Kuchiyose no Jutsu!_ "

A puff of smoke later and Naruto found himself being unceremoniously smacked face-first into the dirt. Standing in the place of the smoke were two small, but obviously old toads, each rather odd in appearance. One had a purple afro-like hairstyle and the other a white mohawk, and both were garbed in brown robes. The one with the mohawk also carried a staff… well, it would be a stick to just about anyone else, but it was definitely the proper size for a staff for it.

"Naruto-chan! What took you so long to contact us? We were starting to get worried when we heard about Konoha, and Jiraiya-chan's name blacked out on the summoning scroll just before that! What is going on?" The purple haired toad yelled in an obviously female voice.

Cocytus was starting to wish he had eyelids. He wanted to make sure this wasn't some kind of illusion!

"Sorry, Ma," Naruto said, rubbing his head and getting into a cross-legged position, "But I've had a heck of a time over the last couple days. I actually summoned you both because of certain things that have happened."

He spent the next few hours telling the two toads what had all happened to him, and he left nothing out. He found it rather liberating in a sense, as he had rarely unburdened himself like that as a child. By the time he was done he felt drained, and despite already being seated on the ground Yugao and Konan were propping him up on either side.

"So that all happened, eh?" The male, Fukusaku, said sadly. "That's quite the tale, Naruto-chan. Now, on to business. It's clear that you aren't harboring revenge, and this adoption by this devil sounds promising, but I get the feeling you want to ask us something else."

"Well, yes," The blonde admitted. "I was wondering about a few things actually. First, I have to ask if the Toads have any knowledge of devils?"

"Of course we do!" Shima, the female, said indignantly. "All of the Summon Clans are youkai, it's just that we tend to hide ourselves in pocket dimensions instead of living in a world that's easily accessible."

Fukusaku facepalmed. "Shima, we aren't supposed to tell anyone about that!"

"Well it's too late now!" Shima huffed, "Naruto-chan needs this, and I'm gonna give it to him!"

"Umm," Naruto interrupted before the two could start in on one of their infamous "lover's quarrels". "What about this ritual? Could it invalidate my summoning contract with you?"

Both of the toads blinked rapidly, looked at eachother, then back and shrugged, saying together, "I don't know."

"That's unhelpful," Naruto groused. "OW!"

Fukusaku retracted his staff from the boy's head. "We don't know, Naruto-chan, because I don't think it's ever happened before, that a summoner became a devil. Though I'll say this, the House of Asmodai has an excellent reputation."

"Really?"

"Oh my, yes," Shima said, "Especially the last Head. He really carved a name out for himself."

"Okay, moving on, would it be permissible for Yugao and Konan to sign the Toad Contract as holders for the children?" Naruto asked. He may lose the contract or not, but this way his children could still have something of him.

Both of the toads shrugged. "I don't see why not," Fukusaku stated.

Shima patted Naruto on the cheek, "We should get going, Naruto-chan. Just know that, whatever choice you make, you have the support of the Toads of Myōboku."

The two toads disappeared as they came, in a puff of smoke.

Naruto took a few moments to gather himself, and then summoned Gama, the holder of the Toad Contract. He taught the two women how to sign it, then they practiced it for a little while, so they could make sure they had it down correctly. He also called in his personal summon and friend, Gamakichi, son of the current Toad Boss, and gave the toad a short rundown on everything, wondering all the while he did, _Why didn't I just bring him here with the Elders?_

Making their way back to the mansion, Naruto's mind was clear. He had made his choice, and the support of the Toads was an important part of his decision. He was going to accept Gressen's offer, but he had a couple small revisions he wanted to make.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Three days after his talk with the Toad Elders, Naruto sat in the center of a large circle that was lit up with a golden light, stripped to the waist. His back and torso were covered in intricate markings glowing with the same golden radiance. Outside the circle sat Gressen Asmodai on a plush throne-like chair, a single vial of dark blood in his hands, chanting in a voice much stronger than what Naruto had heard so far.

The incantation reached a peak.

The vial of blood became incandescent.

The circle rippled, peeling off the floor of the ritual chamber, and began to spin wildly around Naruto.

The vial shattered.

The blood shot over to Naruto, entering his skin.

The circle closed in, the glyphs on Naruto's body glowing brighter by the moment.

A soundless explosion.

The room fell dark, save for two sets of glowing eyes. One of them the vivid purple of Gressen Asmodai. The other…

The other set of eyes were a glowing silver-flecked blue.(5)

"Welcome to your new life, my Son."

 **XxXxXxXx- Ending Notes**

Shinso is often used as a term to describe a "True Blood Vampire". What exactly makes them special aside from some extra abilities that a "Thrall" or "Bride" do not receive, I don't know, and at the moment I don't care. Either way, Shalltear Bloodfallen is a Shinso Vampire, and a powerful figure that required all eight of Gressen's Pawns.

Yeah, here I'm winging it and just throwing a cobble together. It's not likely to show up again, so just run with for me, would ya?

Cocytus, the frozen hell of Greek Mythology. It was for this very area that the character from the Overlord anime was named, and given his natural affinity for the cold I'd say he fits rather well.

The **Hekatonkheires** or **Hecatonchires** (stress on the third syllable;[1][2] singular: "Hekatonkheir" or "Hecatonchir" ( **Hundred-Handed Ones** ), also called the **Centimanes** or **Hundred-handers** , were figures in an archaic stage of Greek mythology, three giants of incredible strength and ferocity that surpassed all of the Titans, whom they helped overthrow. Their name derives from the Greek ἑκατόν ( _hekaton_ ; "hundred") and χείρ ( _kheir_ ; "hand"), "each of them having a hundred hands and fifty heads" ( _Bibliotheca_ 1.1). Hesiod's _Theogony_ (624, 639, 714, 734–35) reports that the three Hekatonkheires became the guards of the gates of Tartarus. The Hundred-Handed-Ones are "giants" of great storms, and hurricanes. (This is taken from Wikipedia.)

Yes, I did something to Naruto's eyes, both of them. What is it exactly? You'll just have to wait to find out.

Alright, for those who have pieced it together, and those who haven't, here is Gressen's Peerage! These characters will be of varying importance throughout the story, so how much they show up will be based on that factor. Also! Not one of them will be "inherited" into Naruto's peerage.

King: Gressen Asmodai

Queen: Albedo

Bishop: Demiurge

Knight: Cocytus

Rook: Sebas Tian

Pawn: Shalltear Bloodfallen

 **Yay for another chapter down! Considering I'm making most of this up as I go, it's coming along fairly well, even if I do say so myself. Here's to hoping for the next chapter to go just as smoothly! And for those waiting on my Master of His Fate rewrite… Sorry, still going over the original idea and fine-tuning it.**

~Dreaming of the Phoenix~


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** … This chapter is being released pretty quickly, I know. I wouldn't be expecting ch4 this quick if I were you people. Releases will be as I have them. Also, one last thing… have I not said that the Peerage is decided? This means that even if you have an interesting idea, I'm not gonna change it for you. And the pairing remains as Undecided at this time.

Props go out once more to my friend, Dreaming of the Moon, for his help in making sure this at least looks good. … You know what, unless I say otherwise, you can pretty much take it as said that he's looking this stuff over.

 **Disclaimer: See chapter 01. I ain't writing it out again.**

 **Chapter 3: The Ins, The Outs, The What?**

An enormous explosion rocked the landscape of the hidden valley behind the Asmodai mansion. A cloud of smoke streaming up from the center of a nearly thirty meter area indicated just how much combusted. And standing some fifty feet from the outermost edge were Naruto and Albedo, he with a raised eyebrow and a wry expression, she with a dumbfounded look.

"That shouldn't be possible," Albedo muttered softly, "Fireball is the first offensive spell any devil learns, and it's never this destructive! Especially on the first try!"

"I told you, didn't I?" Naruto asked, his wry expression never changing by so much as a hair, "I am incapable of the concept 'small'."

The woman shook herself slightly and answered in an awed voice, "This goes beyond what I expected. Your affinity for destruction is… enormous!"

"You know, as my teacher in the arts of devil magic, I expected a bit more in the way of acceptance for destruction."

She snorted, which seemed very out of character for her, "The fireball spell is very similar to your world's _Hitodama no Jutsu_. It is simply not designed to cause this!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "I'd ask how you know about some of my world's techniques, but I figure you probably read through, or watched, something from there to give you an idea."

"The Malachite sisters were very thorough in their reports during their stay in your world," Albedo explained primly, "I simply had to read through those reports, and your time adjusting to your new devil body gave me ample opportunity. Plus the extra time that the doctors took to confirm your connection to Gressen-sama."

"Ah, that would make sense." Naruto noted calmly.

He had taken nearly a week to get the feel of his new body, the differences were rather astounding honestly. The natural increases to his physical limits were off-setting, so he had to retrain his mind to get used to it all. He was also trying to get used the more aggressive hormones, but thankfully he had a great deal of control in that area. Apparently that was one of the major differences between the ritual Gressen used and the Evil Pieces he had been briefly told about, the Pieces would automatically reformat the brain so it could understand the fundamental changes that had occurred and deal with them.

Naruto looked forward to getting his own Evil Piece set. The chance to create a group of people to fight by his side through thick and thin was practically a dream come true. Sure he'd had comrades in the Konoha Shinobi Corps, but he could rarely feel any real connection with them.

Though he'd admit that the first thing he did when he felt comfortable enough was to see if he still had access to chakra. It was possible, considering he left his mother's blood in place, and his euphoria at being proven correct was incredibly high. He had then immediately tried the Summoning for the Toads, calling his old friend Gamakichi…

When the large orange toad appeared, Naruto's joy couldn't be contained. He'd then told Gamakichi his choice, and what had taken so long. The visit lasted for a fair amount of time before the toad had to return, promising to tell everyone in the Toad's realm what happened.

A shaft of underworld sunlight cut through the smoke and straight into his eyes, causing him to wince heavily. There were two more things he was still getting used to. The Underworld's day and night cycles were approximately similar to a well-known human world, but the "sun" down here only really showed for a few hours, and new devils were barely resistant to it's strength-sapping effect.

The fact he was still getting used to his new eyes wasn't helping him either. He had opted against waiting to get a new eye for his right socket before the ritual, as there had been one in that jar of murky liquid. Actually, there had been two eyes in that liquid. His mother's, to be precise. The greyish eyes were labeled as final gifts to him from her should he ever find himself in need. Then the ritual somehow fused his two separate eyes into a matching pair of silver-flecked blue, which were surprisingly not unheard of in the Asmodai family line, allowing for Naruto's admittance to the family lists to go through without issue.

Oh, that had not been a fun dance. He'd been poked, prodded, and bled to the veracity of his claim to the Asmodai name as Gressen's son. The doctors came away only slightly disappointed, however, when they had to admit that his blood was indeed that of the Asmodai Family Head. Their only vindication came when the mother's blood came out as a human's, instead of Gressen's Lady, Kethry. Instead the detecting spells created an image of Uzumaki Kushina, to which Gressen had pulled one hell of a con.

Gressen Asmodai, the Head of the great Asmodai House, General of the Great War, and one of the oldest living devils, had looked to one side and whistled in an innocent fashion. He admitted nothing, only saying that woman on display was one any man would be happy to have been with. Considering that statement neither confirmed or denied a possible liaison, the doctors could only turn away with mutters of agreement. Even a few of the female doctors there had snuck extra glances at the image of Kushina.

Naruto still snickered when he thought about it. He was grateful to Gressen though, for allowing his selfish request to use an extraction of Kushina's DNA in the ritual instead of Kethry's. That genetic extraction was part of what delayed the ritual a few extra days. The implantation of his mother's eye, followed by a distilling of his own blood to separate out his mother's portion, aided by the DNA that was contained in the remaining left eye, and Naruto had been too drained to go through with the ritual any sooner.

"Naruto-sama!" Albedo's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Now that you are paying attention again, I thought we might try another spell. This time it will be of Wind, a simple spell to call a breeze to clear this smoke. This should be quite easy, I believe that Wind is supposed to be your primary chakra element?"

Naruto grunted an affirmative. Wind was his _only_ chakra element. It was the one element that his human parents had shared,(1) though his mother had apparently also had a minor affinity for Water he hadn't gotten.

Well, he had gotten a small affinity for Yin, but it wasn't something he was very good with. Yin was primarily used in Genjutsu, not exclusively perhaps, but Naruto still sucked at the illusion skill. As a result he didn't really practice with his Yin abilities very much.

He followed Albedo's instructions, feeling for his new magic and drawing on it to power his spell. Holding one hand palm out, a small golden(2) circle formed and spun in front of it. A moment later a torrential blast of wind howled through the valley, blowing out the smoke and uprooting several trees in the process.

Albedo stared at the destruction with a blank expression. Slowly she fell to her knees, her hands coming up to cover her face as her shoulders shook. This level of destruction couldn't be merely described as natural talent. The fireball spell, yes. This? Not a chance in any level of Hell! This seemed more as if her new prince had called the Wind, and it had answered like an eager puppy!

"He can turn a Fireball into an Inferno," She cried from between her hands, "And a simple _GUST_ became as a downburst! This-! This-!"

Naruto looked at her worriedly. If Albedo lost it he'd be screwed. Dying or not, he was sure Gressen would leap out of that bed and strangle him to death.

The young man was therefore surprised when, instead of breaking down, Albedo jumped up and kissed him!

"This is wonderful!" She exclaimed passionately, "With power like yours House Asmodai can hold its head high! Oh, Naruto-sama! This is beyond what anyone could have hoped for!"

Naruto eyed her strangely. He knew she loved Gressen, so what was with her practically jumping ship to his side? If it weren't for the fact that she was still clothed, he'd almost expect her to be in Heat like a bitch…(3) He shrugged internally, if she wanted him to have sex with her, he probably would just because she was incredibly hot.

Damned teenage devil hormones!

Unfortunately, at least in his libido's opinion, this was not the case. Albedo pulled away and stood demure once more, her voice again taking on an instructing tone. "However, simply because you have power to spare, does not mean our lesson is done for the day. I want to make sure you can make them subtle, scale them back down to their original levels."

Naruto winced. Control was something he'd always had problems with.

"I don't suppose there are control exercises for magic like there are for chakra?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course, Naruto-sama," Albedo replied with a beatific smile, "It's called 'repetition', and 'practice makes perfect'."

"Practice makes permanent, more like," He grumbled. Yet at her glare he started trying to siphon less power from his core, focusing on the Fireball spell, as it had caused the least amount of destruction of the two. He focused on the feeling of power, mentally compared it to his first attempt, and judged it to be too much.

In a burst of creativity, Naruto decided to try something. His hand came up, the circle lit into existence, and a volley of small balls of flame shot forth, each one impacting the targeted tree trunk in rapid succession.

Grinning, he turned to see another dumbfounded expression on his teacher's lovely face. " _Katon: Hosenka_ , magic style."

Albedo sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "How did you manage that?"

He shrugged, "I measured the amount of power as too much, again, but I remembered one of my former teammate's techniques from our Chunin exam, and figured I could easily stagger the released power instead of one giant conflagration."

Albedo could feel the headache forming. She had read the reports from the Malachite sisters three times over, but she had given little credence to the stories of Naruto's magnetism for on-the-fly tactics. Now she had first-hand experience, and knew she owed the twins something of an apology. Perhaps she could talk Naruto-sama into giving them a small bonus?

"I'm not getting paid enough for this."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You get paid?"

"No." She shook her head, "That's the problem right now."

He laughed.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto looked around his current setting, which honestly seemed to come out of a B-rate horror flick for a mad scientist's lab. It had nothing on one of Orochimaru's labs, but nowhere else would ever be that level of creepy for him. He was seated on a tall stool across from a frumpy-looking older devil, whose eyes seemed to look right through him.

The man reminded him of an older Shikamaru really. The lazy attitude, but sharp mind behind that, and generally accepting air. This man was an annoying combination of relaxing and off-putting.

Ajuka Beelzebub, current holder of the Beelzebub position of the devil hierarchy, and the brain behind the Evil Piece system. Albedo had decided against explaining the PIeces to Naruto, and instead dropped him off on the man who designed it, and the one who personally made each and every set. And who, undoubtedly, was already aware that Naruto was not Gressen's child by birth.

If he was as intelligent as Naruto suspected, Ajuka had probably known from the get-go.

Ajuka sighed, passing a hand through his messy brown hair. "Look, kid -Naruto- let's get something straight from the start. I don't care if you're not really Gressen-dono's offspring originally. You are now Naruto Asmodai. As far as I'm concerned, that's all I need to know."

Naruto let go of an explosive breath. "Okay, I can work with that."

The older man chuckled, and the tension in the air immediately dropped. "Alright, now I just have a bunch of questions that I typically go through. Shall we start?"

"Questions?"

"Your answers are inputted when I create your Evil Pieces, making them easier to attune to you." Ajuka explained.

Naruto blinked. "That's great and all, but what the heck do the Pieces even do? Albedo refused to try and explain it to me more than she felt she had to. Which basically amounted to differences between the Pieces and the ritual Father used to make me his son."

Ajuka frowned slightly. "That's odd, she's usually eager to help her Master." He sighed and shrugged. "Alright, I'll give you the short version. The Evil Pieces allow a High-class devil to create what is known as a Peerage. The pieces are each shaped and named after the pieces in the game of chess-"

"Chess?" Naruto interrupted with a curious expression.

"It's similar to the game of shogi, only fewer pieces, and a few different ones." Ajuka explained, "Instead of the Generals you have a Queen… Tell you what, I'll just tell you the names of the pieces using a standard, non-magical set.

"The Pawn," Ajuka held up a rather boring and small piece. "You get eight of these, each are worth a single point, and a resurrected member doesn't gain much in the way of abilities. The big one, though, is the ability called Promotion. This allows them to Promote to any other Piece except King, either with your permission or in enemy territory.

"The Rook." He held up a castle tower-like item. "There are two of these. Resurrected members from these gain incredible defense and physical strength, but nothing really in the way of magic. It's worth five points.

"The Knight," Here he held up a piece shaped like a horse head, "Again, there are two of these. Resurrected members from these gain incredible speed, and a body that can withstand the extra forces that such enhanced speed brings to bear. It's worth three points.

"The Bishop," This time it was a tall and thin piece that looked like it was wearing a weird hat. "Once again, there are two of these. Resurrected members from these gain increased magic reserves, and somewhat increased spell potency. This is also worth three points.

"The Queen." A piece that was slim with a small crown, "Aside from your King this is often seen as the most important piece. You only get one, but your Queen will gain all the bonuses of the Rook, Knight, and Bishop. It's worth nine points.

"And finally, the King," this was a larger version of the queen. "This is your Piece. It doesn't do much, acting more as a bonding agent and imprinter. This piece is, simply put, a template, something from which the other Pieces draw strength and purpose. If the King is too weak, then it's fully possible for dissension to occur, and one of your members could potentially target you for assassination.

"Now, I'm not saying this is common," Ajuka continued with his hand raised to forestall any questions. "I'm saying it's possible. After all, not every devil is as warm-hearted as the Gremory family, or as -hmm- _justice-inclined_ as your own Asmodai. There are times when a King has had to force a member's cooperation through the use of the old deal: 'if I win, you fall in line'."

Naruto nodded. That was something he could understand, vaguely. It was similar to the military structure of Konoha, where the stronger and more experienced you were, the better chances you had of being promoted. Hell, he'd heard that the Inuzuka clan had dealt with internal problems like that, with duels and whatnot. It was very much like saying "the Strong rule, and the Weak submit." Old fashioned, but not without its merits.

Ajuka rubbed his hands together, "Now, about those questions of mine…?"

 **XxXxXxXx**

Upon his return to the Asmodai mansion with a small box under his arm, Naruto was informed by Sebas that he had a couple visitors waiting for him in the main reception room. When he asked who would be visiting at that hour -it was quite late by that point- Sebas replied with five words.

"Lucifer-sama and the Gremory family."

So Naruto hurried to greet his long-waiting guests, who had been waiting for almost the same length of time as he had been stuck dealing with Ajuka. The man had had more than a "few" questions, and Naruto had spent a great deal of his time there wondering about the possible relevance most of them had.

Entering the room where his guests were, Naruto was greeted by the sight of two men, one in robes and the other in a white suit, obviously related if their matching hair and eye colors were any indication, one lovely brunette woman, and a napping young redheaded girl. If he didn't know better he'd have assumed the two men were brothers, instead of father and son, though the son had been forced to renounce his family name when he took up the position of Lucifer. On the other hand, the woman was obviously supposed to be the mother of said son, and presumably the girl-child as well.

Clearing his throat gently, Naruto caught the three older devils' attention. "Lucifer-sama, Lord and Lady Gremory. I do apologize for the wait. Had I known of your desire to visit I would have been here to receive you-"

The redhaired man in long robes held up a hand to stop Naruto, and the young blonde tilted his head in question. "I assure you, Naruto Asmodai, that we have a very good reason for being here without that very warning, and why we were willing to wait as well."

The brunette spoke next, keeping her voice low so as to not disturb the child. "What my son is trying to say, is that the Gremory have come to you for help."

Naruto blinked, then took a seat in one of the many comfortable chairs in the room. "My help? With what, exactly? I am sorry to say that I'm rather new to position as an heir to a devil House…"

The man in the suit nodded, "We are aware of that, of course. However there are few we could discuss this with, and fewer we feel we could trust with it. You see, it concerns our daughter here."

"Gerard Gremory!(4) You would do well to not insinuate that this is any way Rias' fault!" Venelana scolded quietly.

The man winced, "Yes Dear. I didn't mean it like that at all, of course." He ran a slightly shaking hand through his hair, "I know it's partly my fault, and none of it falls on Rias. I'm just frustrated with the whole situation, and Rias' refusal-"

"Um, not to interrupt, but can we get back to why you think I can help you?" Naruto asked, a little bit of annoyance in his voice.

The married couple had the grace to look sheepish. Venelana opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a soft voice.

"Momma, can we go home yet? I'm bored, and Naruto-sama isn't here..."

Ah, young Rias decided to wake up, rubbing one eye cutely as she struggled to sit up. Naruto couldn't help the chuckle that formed at the sight, and the obvious innocence of the child. Well, he called her a child, but he wasn't more than fourteen himself, and she looked to be about nine or ten years of age, though he could easily tell she would be a real beauty in just a few more years.. His quiet laugh drew her attention and her eyes widened when they saw him.

Rias immediately shot up and over to Naruto, hugging his waist tightly. "Save me!"

Naruto blinked, his arms unconsciously wrapping the girl in a hug. He sat there for a minute or two, and finally said the only thing his mind could clearly think of.

"Say what?"

Several minutes and a long explanation later, Naruto was rubbing his temples to try and rid himself of a headache. Sighing, he turned to the closed doors. "Sebas! Could you see if Father is able to join us for a little while? I know he's getting weaker, but I don't believe this is something I should do without his knowledge or approval."

The door cracked open slightly, "I will ask, Naruto-sama."

The door closed again, and the sound of quiet footsteps could be heard.

With a sigh, Naruto sank into the back of his chair. "I apologize, Lady Gremory, but as I said earlier, I am still getting used to my position, and while I'm fairly certain I can do as you ask of me, I feel the need for a more practiced mind to advise me."

Venelana blinked once, "Why apologize to me alone? There are four of us here."

The blonde chuckled weakly, "Yes, but no one cares about the men, while Rias is a young girl once again napping. However, it is bad manners to make a lady wait, so my apology goes out to you."

"I'm Sirzechs Lucifer, leader of the Four Maou, and yet this boy says candidly, to my face no less, that no one cares about me?" The man sweatdropped while seemingly addressing a wall.

Gerard snickered at his son's grumbling. "Don't worry about it, son. I hold the title of Duke and I don't matter either."

Venelana raised one eyebrow and said with amusement, "And young Naruto will hold the title of King. I'd think he would outrank you just a little, dear Husband. It's one of the reasons we've come after all."

"How true, young Lady," Came a rasping voice from the open door. Gressen was brought into the room in a wheelchair by Albedo, and despite his emaciated frame he managed to give off a presence that easily cowed the other devils. "Now, it is rare for my son to ask for my opinion on anything, so perhaps we could get down to business while my strength holds out."

Naruto nodded, "In short, it seems that Gerard Gremory signed a contract with Rexal Phenex some time ago that says the Heir of Gremory and a scion of Phenex should be wed to continue the pureblood devil lines. However, he did so without the support of his wife, Venelana, or the agreement of said Heir, which would be the child currently sleeping over there. Now, by tradition he has the right to do anything he wishes with the members of his House, but both young Rias-chan and Venelana-san are violently opposed to the contract. Or at the very least, they highly disapprove of the Phenex scion that has been chosen."

Gressen sighed, and tiredly rubbed his brow with one hand. "And? I see that there is obviously a problem, but as you said it is Lord Gremory's right by tradition to do as he wishes with his House. What could they possibly need from us? Certainly it is not too late to cancel the contract in favor of another? Gremory holds the rank of Duke after all, while Phenex is merely a Marquis. He has the ability."

"Ah, yes, about that…" Gerard broke in awkwardly, "The contract has stood now for nearly two centuries, since the end of the Civil War between the Devil Factions, and while I'm quite certain we were incredibly drunk, the contract has some injudicious terms that make breaking it a very large issue."

The old devil turned his attention to him. "Such as?"

The Gremory Lord gulped nervously, "The destruction of the House that breaks the contract."

Members of House Asmodai as one blinked rapidly, then facepalmed. Dragging his hand slowly down his face so he could see through his fingers, Gressen's voice resonated incredulity.

"You put the very existence of your House on the line?!"

Gerard grimaced, "Not my proudest moment, I will admit."

Naruto snorted, "No shit. Even growing up among the humans I can barely recall anything quite that stupid!"

Venelana raised an eyebrow and filed that information away for a later time. So the young prince was raised among humankind? That was interesting indeed. Fortunately for Naruto, she seemed to be the only one to take note of his statement in any way but depressing as both Sirzechs and Gerard dropped their heads in shame.

"Son," Gressen's warning tone told the young man that he was approaching disrespect.

Naruto had already experienced the punishment for too much disrespect once. He shuddered at the memory. Never again.

"My apologies, Father. Lord Gremory." Said Naruto with a small bow of his head to the two devils. Too bad for the older devils, they didn't see Naruto's brief smirk.

Gressen nodded in acceptance, "Now, what do the Gremory propose that requires my possible permission?"

"Ah," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck while smiling a little nervously, "They want me to take Rias into my Peerage. While she would remain a Gremory in name, it would remove her from the position of Heir as it effectively removes her from the Gremory House and Lord Gremory's authority."

The elder devil blinked, then threw his head back in a loud barking laugh. "Oh! That's a clever little scheme! Yes, that is one aspect of the Evil Piece system that very few have even considered, and they don't dare change! If they did change it, it could potentially give one House power over another through an Heir!"

Gressen sobered quickly though. "However, this move would position House Asmodai between Gremory and Phenex, forcing us to deal with the situation. Do you understand, Gerard Gremory? You will be placing the future of your House in the hands of my inexperienced son."

Lord Gremory swallowed heavily, and nodded. "I understand, Lord Gressen, but I have little choice. My wife is unhappy with me, and as a widower I'm certain you can understand how bad that can be for my health."

A small chuckle escaped Gressen at the poor joke. "Indeed. 'A happy wife means a happy life' as they say."

He paused for a few minutes to consider all the angles, the possible benefits as well as the potential consequences. Certainly this would put the Gremory in his son's debt, and would most likely cause them to support Naruto in a great many things. This alone would be invaluable, but then there was the possible fallout with the Phenex family, which could breed aggression or outright hatred for Asmodai's interference.

Gressen coughed, his lips staining with a small amount of blood which Albedo quickly wiped away. "If we do this for you, what are you willing to give us as thanks?"

Gerard grimaced as if he had swallowed a lemon. He knew this was coming. While he was giving up his daughter, his Heir, it was still a request on the behalf of the Gremory. As a result, should the Asmodai agree, the Gremory would owe them some form of compensation… compensation that the Asmodai could choose.

"Eh, who cares about that, Father?" Naruto interrupted the now-tense atmosphere, "Sure, we could ask for more, but really, they'll be giving up their child. Even though they'll be able to visit, this will be Rias-chan's new home. Besides," he grinned widely, "I think if can we can help them, then we should."

Gressen frowned, "Then why ask my opinion or permission?"

"I wasn't, not really. That was more for Sebas' benefit than mine," Naruto admitted with an insolent shrug. "This was more to inform you of the situation, and maybe get some ideas as to what I'd be getting into. Honestly I was going to accept the request no matter what you said, but your approval would have been a nice bonus."

The old man sighed theatrically, and gazed mournfully at the stunned Lord Gremory. "You see what I have to put up with? Incorrigible, that's what this boy is!"

Gressen started chuckling, "Though in this case I am inclined to agree with him. We will, of course, aid our ancient friends of the Gremory. Little Rias shall join my son's peerage."

Sirzechs, standing to one side of the room during all of this, began laughing. _These two! If I didn't know better I'd think that young Naruto really was Gressen-dono's true son! They played us from the very beginning! Gressen played the hardliner, while Naruto was the dutiful son to start and is now the insouciant brat! … I wonder how they were so in sync like that?_

Gressen's amused expression caught Sirzech's eye, and one eyelid slowly slid down in an unmistakable wink. _So the old codger knows I know, huh? Well done, Gressen-dono. This game goes to you._

Venelana and Gerard finally seemed to catch on that they were being played with, and began laughing in relief, and if there was a bit of hysteria mixed in who could really blame them? And with the laughter, Rias awoke again, trying to understand just why her parents were laughing like mad-people.

Venelana hugged her daughter, "They agreed, Rias-chan. You'll be free of the contract, and become part of Naruto-sama's peerage."

Rias' eyes widened in delight, "Yes!" She rushed over to Naruto and threw her arms around his middle, "I'll be the best Queen! You'll see, Naruto-sama!"

"Woah there," Naruto stopped her, "Queen? I never said what you'd be."

Rias blinked in confusion, "Bu-but! The Queen is perfect for me! I'm the Heiress of my House, a Princess! What else could I be?"

The blonde shrugged, "I dunno, but those points aren't enough to be a Queen in my opinion."

"Well child, what are you good at?" Gressen asked gently.

Rias swiveled her head to see the old man. "Hello! Who are you? I'm Rias Gremory! And I like anime!"

Gressen chuckled, "I'm Lord Gressen Asmodai, Naruto's father. I'm very pleased to meet you, Rias-chan. Now, my question?"

The girl blinked again, and said uncertainly, "Oh! Um- I have the Power of Destruction! Is that what you mean?"

"Power of Destruction?" Naruto asked, confused about the term. The name itself was fairly obvious, but what made it special?

"Ah, the Bael family possesses an ability that allows them to destroy pretty much anything at the atomic level," Gressen explained with a wave of his hand. "It's fairly impressive to see, but useless if it doesn't hit its target. It is rather slow, but I suppose it would hit anything shy of the average chunin of your world pretty easily."

"Ah, so… she's a magic-type?" Naruto guessed, looking toward the girl's family for confirmation.

Venelana nodded, "Yes, she has proven to have an aptitude for the magical arts, so she has been training as a wizard-class combatant."

"Then I'd think that Bishop would probably suit her better," the boy said, one hand stroking a box by his side in an unconscious gesture.

Sirzechs chuckled, "Yes, but it's fairly common to use the Queen first. After all, they are the one's that are your second-in-command, and if they've been with you long they tend to get a bit more respect from the others."

The Maou shrugged, "Or at least, that's what most young devils these days think. I know I didn't get my own Queen until about two hundred years ago, but she was a stubborn one."

"I'll be sure to tell Grayfia you said that, Sirzechs." Venelana said with a mischievous smile. "However, we are forgetting something, Gerard."

Her husband grimaced again, "I was hoping you wouldn't bring that up yet."

"Bring what up?" Gressen asked.

"Ah, as thanks for your help we were going to hand over a bit of our territory in the nearby human world," Gerard said with a sheepish expression. "I was going to mention it on our way out."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "One little prank just to feel like you one-upped us, huh?"

"Something like that."

"Meh, it would've been a good one," Naruto admitted.

"By the way son," Gressen started, his voice beginning to grow weak, "I assume that your Pieces are in that box? Did you get anything interesting?"

Naruto shrugged, "You mean any of those Mutated Pieces you mentioned before I left?" Gressen nodded, "Nah, not really. Well, nothing big, rather," Naruto said, "Just a minor enhancement to a Rook and one Pawn. Barely a single point of value more in both cases."

"Ah," Gressen sounded satisfied. The boy was his son now, but he didn't want the kid to have _too_ easy a time of things. "Now, I am tired, and require rest."

With that Albedo carefully wheeled her Lord out of the room. The others each gave a small bow of respect, and waited a few moments in slightly awkward silence.

Naruto popped open the box holding his Evil Pieces, drawing out a beautifully-crafted bishop. "Well, shall we get this done with? Then we can all copy my father and head to our beds."

Venelana gaped at his Pieces. They looked to be from some kind of fantasy set!(6) The Pawns were all shaped like dragons, the Rooks were towers on mountainsides, the Knights were rearing unicorns, the Bishops were proud wizards, and the Queen looked like a regal miniature of the real thing! The brunette drew a shaky breath.

"I thought you said you didn't get anything big?"

Naruto gave her a deadpan stare. "I didn't. Father asked about mutations."

"Those aren't mutations?" To the best of her knowledge the Evil Pieces only looked like transparent red versions of a standard chess set! Well, these were still transparent and red, but the shapes were breathtaking in their detail.

The blonde shrugged. "Not really. As far as Ajuka-sama could tell, aside from the shapes, there's nothing special about these. Unless the special properties are hidden just that well or he didn't want to tell me of course."

"Of course," She responded faintly. Now she really needed to go home and sleep. Today had been too much!

 **XxXxXxXx**

For a second time that month, Naruto was in the heart of the Asmodai Ritual Chamber. This time he was alone, and stripped to the waist, the Seal on his stomach clearly visible. Grumbling to himself about something not being fair, he closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. He sought his center, the entrance to his mindscape, where he had previously conversed with the being called Kyuubi.

Opening his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of a dimly-lit sewer. A grimace crossed his face, "I know that I didn't have the best education, but this is still depressing."

"You're telling me," a heavy voice came from behind him.

Turning, Naruto saw the great fox at rest behind a large cage, head on paws. "I assume you've heard everything so far?"

"Heard most of it, still having trouble believing it all though," the fox admitted. "Devils, a new life for you, kits on the way from your human life, and now you have the former Heiress of another devil family as your servant."

Naruto nodded, and with a twist of his will formed a chair to sit down on. "Yeah. Wouldn't have believed it either if I haven't been living in it. And apparently, at least according to Demiurge, it's at least partly because of that thing."

He gestured to an object embedded into the wall to his right. A small statue of of an incredibly fat person made of gold sat in a small alcove, giving off a feeling of incredible luck. A random Sacred Gear that apparently gifted its bearer with incredible luck in gambling, whether monetary or otherwise.

Considering some of the gambles Naruto had taken in more than a few of his fights, he was glad to have it with him!

The fox snorted, "Daikoku's Blessing.(5) A pretentious name to be sure, but it ain't wrong. Never thought I'd actually see one of those stupid Sacred Gears that biblical bastard created. And in my own Host no less!"

Naruto chuckled, getting the fox's attention. "Hey, Kurama, remember when we used to rant at each other? We just couldn't get along. At least until I asked if you had a name besides 'Kyuubi'."

They both had a chuckle at that. As Kurama thought back to that day, shortly after the training trip with the boy's teacher started actually, Naruto thought about what he had told Yugao and Konan the previous month.

He had lied to them. Though he did indeed get vague feelings from Kurama most of the time, he'd actually become great friends with the fox during those conversations they'd had. And though Naruto felt a little guilty, the remembered look of panic on Yugao's face put a small frown on his own. Kurama had a bad rap from the attack he did on Konoha all those years ago, but it honestly wasn't his fault. The trouble is in convincing others of that fact.

"So what brings you here today, Naruto?" The fox asked, genuinely curious.

"Albedo finally told me what that damned bat Rias has is about," Naruto groused. He had seen the little ball of fur and wings with eyes commonly flying around the mansion and had wondered just what purpose it served. "It's called a Familiar, and apparently is much like a magical pet that does things for you. A whole range of things from being a companion to handing out those stupid fliers that allow humans to form contracts with us devils."

"And?" Kurama wasn't sure he liked where this was going.

"I was wondering," the boy began, hope in his voice, "If you might be willing to become my Familiar. It would probably get you out of this Seal without killing me, and allow you to get back into the sunlight and wind you love so much."

The fox sat there for a few minutes, obviously thinking things over, before saying in a tone that brooked no opposition, "I'll tell you now, Brat, I won't be handing out those summoning fliers of yours!"

Naruto shrugged and waved the comment aside. "Eh, that's fine. I got an idea to handle that shit. All you have to do is stand around and look badass. Maybe scare the shit out of some people, possibly eat the occasional asshole. Can you do that?'

Kurama blinked in confusion. "Uh, yeah... sure."

"Awesome!" Naruto cheered, pumping his fist in triumph.

"Just what did you have in mind for those fliers though?" Kurama asked curiously.

"Ah, that? I'm gonna take a leaf out of Ajuka Beelzebub's book," The boy said blithely, as if it was of no real importance. "You see, I managed to wheedle out of him that he gets all of his contracts done by designing and releasing videogames for humans. Each of them has a 'user agreement' that is actually a pretty long-winded version of the general contracts people sign for a completed job."

"Yeah, heard that. So?"

"So, I figure if he can do that with games, why can't I do that with books? Merely attach a kind of waver stating that the buyer will not hold anything in the book against me, or something like that."

The fox blinked several times, then a vicious grin split his lips. "Naruto, it's times like this that make me proud to have you as my vessel."

Naruto buffed his nails on his chest in a joking display of arrogance. "Why thank you, I do try when I feel like it."

The two of them held their respective poses for a moment, then convulsed into laughter together. Finally Naruto pulled himself back up into a sitting position, wiping his eyes clear. Shaking his head he had to wonder what kind of unholy terror he was about to unleash upon the Underworld.

"Alright, enough lazing around," the blonde said, his mirth still clearly evident in his voice. "I got the spell from Albedo, and double-checked it with Demiurge and Sebas to make sure I had it right, so I'll see you on the outside soon enough."

 **XxXxXxXx**

Uzuki Yugao, former cat-masked member of Konoha's Anbu corps, and currently expectant mother, would admit that her day had been pretty good. While it had been a few weeks since Naruto had decided to become a devil, the ritualistically fused blood of Gressen Asmodai causing his human blood to go dormant, neither Yugao nor her counterpart, Konan of Ame, had really had anything to do except keep their skills as sharp as they could. Considering both of them were doing their level best not to chance a miscarriage, the two women had settled for light-contact sparring and chakra exercises for the last few weeks to at least keep their bodies in shape.

Today had been especially peaceful though. Naruto hadn't caused wanton destruction by accident, Yugao had actually gotten the better of Konan in their spar, and she had just finished an incredibly relaxing bath in the mansion's one divergence from the otherwise European-style design. Oh, that large indoor bath was Heavenly! Yugao absolutely loved it.

However, all of her contentment and relaxed state went out the window when she returned to the room she shared with Konan, and sometimes Naruto who had become much like a giant teddy bear for the two women, only to see a very large red-furred fox-like creature napping on one of the couches. Konan wasn't there, but this giant animal, which looked to be about the size of a large pony and looked vaguely familiar, was just laying there. Sleeping.

However, a memory from when she was only ten years old surfaced, and she immediately began comparing this creature to that memory. It was something she doubted would ever leave her, if only for the fact that it had been etched in through an intense fear.

 _Tail? Nine of them… Ears? Long and floppy like a rabbit's… Opposable thumbs on the front paws… Long black stripes around the eyes that look to reach into the ears…_

The large fox opened one eye at the sudden draft, then raised its head to look at her fully. Red eyes met brown, and in that moment Yugao knew exactly what Naruto had been up to that day.

"Uzumaki Naruto Asmodai, you have _so_ much to explaining to do," she muttered under her breath.

The fox sweatdropped, rose with a stretch, and slipped out of the room past the quietly fuming woman in search of a peaceful spot to resume his nap. "I am _not_ dealing with hormonal human women! Mito and Kushina were more than enough, thank you very much!" Kurama muttered as he stalked away.

"Hold it right there!"

Remarkably, the fox actually stopped, spine rigid as its head turned back to see the pissed off woman. With a quiet gulp, Kurama swiveled his entire body back to face her, and dropped to his haunches, his nine tails waving lazily behind him.

"Yes?" He asked calmly.

Yugao glowered at him, "Aren't you supposed to be bigger?"

Kurama raised an eyebrow, looking both ridiculous and pitying at the same time. "Woman, are you aware of just what it means to be a kitsune?"

"Uh, no."

He snorted, his expression changing to that of a teacher whose student was failing. "It means that I have an innate gift for transformations, illusions, cunning, stealth, and a couple random things my creator thought would be entertaining. In this case, let us focus on the transformation aspect of my previous sentence."

Her eyes widened, "This a _Henge_?"

Another snort, "Not as you humans practice it, of course, but essentially, yes." He rose again, and turned to continue on his way, "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to find a nice, quiet place, and resume my nap."

"Ah, sure," Yugao said, her mind racing, and she could feel the headache forming. Quietly she entered her room, and proceeded to the bed. She had quite suddenly discovered a desire to sleep away the madness of the past few minutes.

Either that or strangle Naruto, but she didn't want to die just for the satisfaction of wringing his neck.

 **XxXxXxXx- Ending Notes**

In one of the movies, Minato said that chakras of a similar nature resonated. To me this meant that like Naruto, Minato also had Wind Natured chakra. This is supported by Narutopedia which says that Minato has Fire/Wind/Lightning/Yin/Yang chakra natures. And Kushina's element(s) are recorded as Wind/Water/Yin.

Yes, the Asmodai Family is getting a gold color to their magic circles. Gremory have red, and Phenex have an orange, so I figure most families have a signature color. Thus the Asmodai and their gold.

For those who don't know, Albedo's original personality was that of a nymphomaniac, or "bitch". She was designed to pretty much follow and desire the most powerful people/creatures that she came across. Doubly so if they proved to be stronger than her.

Those who have read my Master of His Fate story will recognize this as the name I am using for Lord Gremory until such a time as the author officially gives him one. The same goes for Lord Phenex. ~ **I have been informed, multiple times, that Lord Gremory has been given the name Zeoticus. I have checked it out, and I will use it in further chapters. I'm just not gonna bother changing it in this one.**

Daikoku's Blessing is Naruto's Sacred Gear. Daikoku is the member of the Seven Lucky Gods that deals primarily with wealth and gambling, but in my opinion all of _life_ is a gamble.

I actually have a copy of this very Fantasy Chess Set. It's rather cool, and it was a gift from my Mother some years back, so I figured I'd use it. Will there be something special about it for Naruto? … Maybe. I'll be rolling the dice on that.

 **Yes, Rias is his first Bishop, and the one the hint in Chapter 1 was about. I'd almost be willing to bet no one saw that coming! … Almost. What does this mean for Rias' canon Peerage? Well since she didn't receive her Pieces until she was 14-15 in canon, nothing's happening with her canon peerage just yet.**

 **Queen in the next chapter!**

~Dreaming of the Phoenix~

Peerage Hint: Queen - I'm the hot, female version of Kisame Hoshigaki… (lol)

Dreaming of the Moon


	4. Chapter 4

**Of course my thanks still go to Dreaming of the Moon for his continued help.**

 **Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**

 **Chapter 04: The Second Inheritance, A Passing, and Obtaining a Queen**

Naruto did his level best to stifle a sigh. For a third time he sat shirtless inside the Ritual chamber below the Asmodai mansion. This was getting to be staple of his life lately. Why was there so much that revolved around this one damned room?

However, unlike the previous two times, he was not alone inside the circle. Sitting across from him, also without a shirt, was his new father, Gressen Asmodai. The withered and emaciated old devil was focusing heavily, eyes closed in concentration, forcing his breathing to remain even as he didn't dare to screw up at this point. Gressen's eyes snapped open and met Naruto's silver-blue orbs.

"Naruto, this is the final thing I have to give you before my time runs out." The voice was strong, the bearing regal despite the thin form. The old man reached his right hand _into_ his very chest, removing something that looked more like a pulsating gold orb than the heart that Naruto honestly expected.

"This is the Asmodai Family Magic," Gressen said, his tone not inviting any form of question. "Unlike certain other families, such as the Bael and their Power of Destruction, where the power is genetic and passed down through the bloodline, the Asmodai concentrate each generation's power and hand that down to the Heir. While multiple children can be born with it, only the Heir, the one who becomes the Head, can actually wield the full power that our family is known for. Generation after generation, Parent to Child, regardless of gender, the power is accumulated and stored and added to each new Heir.

"This is the ultimate secret of our family," The elder devil continued, "This is how we remain and grow more powerful every generation. Each of the Heads literally carries all the power of their predecessors. And each adds their own to it when they pass it on."

Naruto eyed the glowing ball of golden light warily. The thing was nearly the size of his head! Just how many other heads had there been?! How much power was concentrated into that one ball? In fact, it seemed as though Gressen had stopped for a moment, and Naruto seized the opportunity.

"And what is it?"

Gressen smiled grimly, "It has been called many things over the millennia, God's Word, The Truth, and many other things that are quite simply incorrect. The true magic of my family, _our_ family, is the Power of Domination."

The blonde raised an eyebrow at that, "Domination?"

"Yes," a firm nod accompanied this simple statement. "Though it is not as all-encompassing as it may sound," Gressen admitted grudgingly. "Each of us can learn to dominate one particular facet, just a single area. For example, I became known for my ability to 'Dominate Death'."

Naruto's other brow flew to join the first, he could clearly hear the quotations around it, but still… "Wha-?"

Gressen chuckled, "It is the primary reason I am still alive, Naruto. I 'Dominated' the spectre of Death that hung over me and made a deal to give me just enough time to get you ready for this. I will most likely not live to see the morrow's dawn."

The boy took a few calming breaths, then said, "Okay. you say that each one is … different? Like how?"

His new father nodded in satisfaction, it was a fair question. "Each of us gains Domination over a particular facet of the world at large. My own predecessor, my mother if you're curious, held the power to 'Dominate Blood'. Which for her meant that she could control anyone of her own bloodline. Very useful at the time as she had to ram her ascension to Family Head down some very unwilling throats."

Naruto grinned, "Sounds like a woman I would have liked." Then his face went serious again, "Is there anyway to guess what I'm likely to get?"

Gressen shook his head a little, "I'm sorry, Son. The Power itself seems to determine what you most need. I was involved in a few wars, so being able to technically force Death away from my allies was beyond price."

"It didn't always work the way I thought it would though," the old man cautioned. "There were many friends I couldn't help more than to give them a chance to set a few affairs in order. The degree of injury was directly proportional to my ability. In my case, I'm not injured, I'm just old."

Naruto was about to ask something else, when Gressen coughed heavily and held up his free hand for silence. The blonde nodded, now was not the time.

"Most of what you'll need to learn about the history of this Power is in the library," Gressen said as soon as he had caught his breath. "Now take it, my son, and let no one ever stand against you! If they try, knock them down and continue over their cold corpse!"

Naruto nodded firmly, and reached out. Taking the large orb of power in his hand he felt something probing his mind, his heart, and even his soul. It wasn't invasive though, rather it felt like a new friend trying to get to know him. Without further pause, Naruto slowly began pushing the sphere into his own chest, and a feeling of warmth suffused him. His eyes closed to revel in the feeling, almost like a piece of him had been missing and was now returning to him.

When he was done, when the last of the glowing ball had disappeared, the circles on the floor darkened, and Gressen Asmodai fell to one side. The sound of the old devil's body hitting the floor brought Naruto out of his peaceful moment, and he rushed to his devil father's side. Quickly Naruto called for help, and Albedo came running.

Together the two of them got Gressen into bed, and sat on opposite sides. Naruto would admit that he hadn't known the old man for very long, barely a month, but he already felt like more of a father to him than the nebulous human man who had actually sired him. And losing that new father now, Naruto felt the loss keenly.

 _If only I'd had more time to know him…_

He felt a small tickle-like sensation around his heart, but shrugged it off. Weird shit was always happening to him lately.

 **XxXxXxXx**

The passing of Gressen Asmodai, the Momonga of the widely recognized Ainz Ooal Gown Military Company, and Head of the Asmodai Family of the 72 Pillars was heralded by an Underworld-wide wake. The entirety of the devil, demon, and many other races that formed the Underworld's community bent their heads in respect to the death of a man whose reputation reached even into the Heavens. However, despite the width of his fame, many were surprised when Heaven actually sent a representative to the 24 hour memorial time.

In point of fact, Heaven sent three representatives: Archangel Michael, Archangel Gabriel, and Archangel Uriel. Each were resplendent in the white robes that declared them to any with the slightest brain as three of God's most powerful and trusted people. Each set of robes trimmed in what was pretty much known as their individual colors; Michael's gold, Gabriel's silver, and Uriel's sky blue. They even had the decency to mute their natural Auras of Divine Grace so as to not cause the devils in their vicinity any undue problems.

At the end of the wake, when the time came for speeches of remembrance, the Four Maou, leaders of the devils, stood and each spoke. Sirzechs Lucifer gave a stirring story about his time working with Gressen in the war, Ajuka Beelzebub told of learning science at the deceased's hand, Serafall Leviathan spoke of how he gave her the confidence to even join the war and later to pick herself back up after it was over, and Falbium Asmodeus spoke of how much he had learned of strategy from him.

Following them came the three Angels, each with a different outlook on one of the few Elder Devils to gain Heaven's respect. Michael told of Gressen's unwavering determination even in the face of terrible odds (a mutter of 3 to 7 being not quite low enough). Uriel said little, other than a short tale of just how Gressen had earned his respect. And Gabriel, the only female angel that many of the devils could actually name, told of Gressen's utter conviction in making sure every soldier under his command came home.

It was during Gabriel's story that Naruto recalled something about her being the Angel of Death, the final escort of the dead to their resting place. He wasn't sure if that was quite true, but for the sake of his late adoptive father, he could hope that she had been the one to lead him to wherever he went. The long blonde locks of platinum gold, the large and soft blue eyes, and a body that put even Albedo and Serafall to shame... That was some very fine eye candy. Man, he'd tap that given even half a -

 _Damn teenage hormones!_

When it was finally Naruto's turn, as Gressen's recognized Heir he had to speak, and Albedo had insisted that he do a kind of eulogy…

"As many of you know, I was found by my father barely more than a month ago," He started, " I'll admit that while I didn't know Lord Gressen for long, I'm certain I knew him well. Certainly I liked him a great deal better than the man who raised me, but what can you expect of a human who knows you aren't his?"

A few scattered chuckles met that statement. It wasn't really a secret that Naruto had been raised by humans, most found it more surprising how well he was fitting in with his new position. It threw enough of the Parliament for a loop that he managed to get his position as Gressen's heir through all the proper channels without issue.

"Like I said, I didn't know Lord Gressen Asmodai for long," Naruto continued, his voice strong, "But I feel as though I knew my father Gressen all my life. He lived as he felt was right for him, walking the way he talked you could say. It certainly showed in the way he took in so many after the wars, in how he comported himself in his daily life, and finally how he stoically looked Death in the eye and told it to take a hike until he felt I was ready to continue leading the Asmodai name."

He paused for a moment, idly noting that he had absolutely everyone's attention. "This is not a time of lamentation, this is a time of remembrance. I for one will always remember my father's strong will, and the convictions upon which he built his very way of life. The Underworld has lost a great man, the Heavens have lost a worthy opponent, but I? I have lost a father. Gressen Asmodai meant many things to many people, and while he will be missed, he will not be forgotten.

"And while I have a lost a Father, he left me a family in the members of his House and Peerage. My father is dead, but my brothers and sisters, and I myself, still live. We will continue his legacy, we will not allow ourselves to fall by the wayside, and we will never leave behind the Justice that our House has always stood for!" Naruto looked at the open coffin containing the body of of his deceased devil parent, and snapped a crisp military salute, followed shortly by every other man and woman who ever served alongside or against Gressen.

"So I say, Gressen 'Momonga' Asmodai, wherever your spirit has gone, you may rest in peace as your Will lives on!"

 **XxXxXxXx**

After Gressen had been entombed in the Asmodai family crypt, Naruto found himself surrounded by the three Archangels along with the three male Maou. Thankfully he wasn't alone as Albedo, Cocytus and Rias found their way to his side as silent support. Though Cocytus could be described as intimidating under most circumstances, his posture of an obvious guard put the angels and Maou at relative ease.

Sirzechs swirled a bit of wine in a glass. He hated funerals, but the after parties for the remembrance of the deceased's life were always rather interesting. So many little nuances that never popped up in other conversations could be viewed in these rare times of shared humor. And he meant humor, because the stories that came out during these remembrances were inevitably some of the most hilarious events.

"I wonder, young Asmodai," Michael was saying, catching the others' attention, "Have you discovered your own particular brand of your family's magic yet? I find myself quite curious."

Naruto shook his head with a grin, "Not yet, I'm afraid, Michael-sama. The Power itself barely awoke a few days ago, so I haven't really had the time to try it and see what I have."

Gabriel giggled, a glass of orange juice in her hand. "Awoke? Come now, all of us here are aware of how the Asmodai magic is passed along."

The blonde boy grinned, "You may be, Gabriel-chan, but the others listening in are not." He indicated people beyond their group shamelessly leaning ear in their direction, "So to keep the family secret, I'm sticking with 'awoke'."

The blonde angel giggled again, "Oh? 'Chan' is it? You really were raised by the Japanese then? Your name is certainly Japanese enough. Though who would name their child after a ramen ingredient?"

Naruto shrugged a little, "Eh, close enough. And it's 'Maelstrom' not 'fishcake'."

Uriel raised a brow, then gave his own grin. " 'Close enough'? Then you were raised in another world that has Japanese roots?"

The teen laughed, "As expected of you, Uriel-sama. Got it right on the first try. Indeed, the world I was raised in has roots and traditions very similar to that of this 'Japan' I have heard about."

Uriel smiled with a twinkle in his eye, "Perhaps you'd care to go into some detail at a later time? I'm always interested in learning about other worlds."

Naruto shrugged again, "I don't see why not. Just because I can't go back, it doesn't mean I can't tell you about it. Make an appointment with Albedo, and be sure to leave a fair amount of time. There's a lot of information."

Uriel raised an eyebrow, "And why would you be unable to go back?"

The teen blonde grimaced, "It's all connected. I'll just say it again, make an appointment."(1)

"I'll do that."

"I wasn't aware that you'd started your peerage already, Naruto-dono," Falbium said, interrupting the flow of the angels. "Took in Albedo and Cocytus did you? And the young heiress of Gremory? Quite the collection start."

Naruto shook his head and gestured to Albedo, who spoke up. "I'm afraid you're mistaken, Falbium-sama. Neither myself nor Cocytus have joined Naruto-sama's peerage."

"Oh?" The Maou asked lightly, "Then young Rias is his Queen?"

"I'm Naruto-sama's Bishop." Rias said proudly, her hands going to her hips and her head tilting imperiously.

"That's unusual," Ajuka quipped, "Normally the first Piece used is the Queen."

Naruto grinned, "I never was a fan of following the grain. Though I'll admit to making certain exceptions."

"What about the situation with the Gremory and Phenex?" Uriel asked. Almost everyone knew about the standing contract between the two devil families, and he was curious as to how Naruto had resolved it enough to take the girl in.

"Eh, I have an appointment with Lord Phenex next week to discuss that very topic. I'll deal with it then." Another shrug, "I'll probably have to step on more than a few toes in the process though."

With a round of chuckles the talks moved onto the appropriate stories to remember Gressen, and Naruto found himself enthralled by them. He knew Gressen had done a lot, but now he was finally getting to hear about it.

 **XxXxXxXx**

The day following Gressen's funeral found Naruto in a reinforced practice room, designed specifically for the use of the Asmodai Power of Domination. He couldn't help but wonder why other brands of magic or physical exercises couldn't also be done in there, but figured it had to do with the odd markings all over the walls, floor, and ceiling. Hell, they even ran over the inside of the door!

… Which made perfect sense in hindsight, as it didn't make for a safe practice room if the power could just get out through the door.

Naruto was sweating heavily, having failed drastically to access the power Gressen had given him. It wasn't as if he couldn't feel it, more like it was playing with him, trying to gauge his reaction to being denied. It was, putting it lightly, infuriating!

Dropping heavily into a cross-legged position, Naruto growled in frustration. He didn't understand, it was just power, wasn't it? It couldn't really have a will of its own!

… Could it?

In desperation he figured trying to talk with it couldn't hurt. He focused on the power he could feel within him, and thought hard at it.

 _I don't have time to be playing! I don't have enough time to learn everything I need! I just don't have TIME! I need what you can give me, and I need it now! Not tomorrow, not next week, now!_

He could feel something resembling startlement come from the power, swiftly followed by curiosity. Then, as if to mock him, he swore it responded to him in a child-like innocence.

 _Time? Then give you Time! Give you all of Time! Time will be yours to play with, then you can play with us!_

Naruto blinked. Talking to it had worked?! Wait, what did it mean?

 _What do you mean, 'give me Time'?_

 _We give you Time to rule, then you play with us! We will allow you to Dominate Time!_

 _Dominate Time?_

 _Yes! Then you play with us!_

Naruto could feel a headache forming. Was this how Iruka-sensei felt all those years ago? If so, he owed the man a serious apology if they ever met again.

 _Play?_

 _Yes! Play! You use power! Using the Power we give you means you use us, and that is how we play!_

He felt his eyebrow twitching. So … to use his Power he had to 'play' with it? Groaning, he rubbed his temples, the headache now fully formed. Fuck an apology, he owed Iruka-sensei a keg of ale!

Then he asked possibly the most important question.

 _So how do I play with you?_

He felt the power's joy.

 _We show you!_

 **XxXxXxXx**

"Sales of your 'Icha Icha'(2) books are up almost 90%!" An enthusiastic man in a grey suit said from behind a desk. "The public loves them! They're especially popular among young couples and newlyweds who have written in saying that their love lives are even better now since reading even just one! The publishing industry is clamoring for more! Even the ones overseas that we're getting to translate want to get in on the ground floor of this series!"

Naruto stifled a groan, his headache from the day before returning with a vengeance. He had finally gotten his Power to 'play' with him, and had discovered that it spoke literally. He'd developed the ability to "Dominate Time" by causing it to stop within a certain area or focused on a single person. There were a couple huge downsides, though, the most notable being the enormous drain on his reserves the longer he held it active. But it was a point like this that he wished he could speed things up…

… Wait, why couldn't he? It fell in the realm of Time, so he should be able to do it, right?

… Hm, better not test that theory right now. The human might get suspicious if his speech ended too quickly.

Naruto noticed the man looking at him expectantly. Oh, he was already done. He cleared his throat to cover up that he hadn't really been paying attention.

"Ah, I'll think about it," Naruto said, using a simple blanket term to cover himself. "How about the release forms? They are being signed with each single book, right? I don't need anyone coming after me for some kind of idea that these books are merely 'demeaning women'."

Release forms. Yeah right. They were, in actuality, a convoluted run-around that acted as a pre-contract. Considering none of the books had been returned yet, or given away to Used Bookstores, the hidden contracts remained valid and Naruto collected energy from the human's lustful desires whenever another book was purchased.

"Ah, yes, I meant to talk to you about that," the publisher looked nervous, "Are they really necessary? I mean, everyone loves your work, even if you are going under another name, why would you need such a thing?"

Naruto waved his hand in the air and smiled disarmingly, "Don't worry about it, Mister Publisher. It's just my paranoia acting up, and making me protect myself from any potential fallout. It is a fickle business, after all."

Mr Publisher chuckled. "Alright, but are you sure you need them for that first book of yours? The Tale of a Gutsy Ninja is a Bestseller you know? And there isn't really anything offensive in it…"

Another wave of Naruto's hand met the question. "Ah, don't mind it, please. That one's more of a disclaimer, letting people know I'm not collecting the money for that one."

The man blinked in surprise. "You're not? Then where's the money for those sales going?"

Naruto chuckled, "Straight into World Relief projects. It was my Godfather's dream to help bring peace to the world, so I figured that putting the profits from his first work to that goal would be appropriate."

The man smiled, "How magnanimous of him. I take it he was an idealist?"

"Of a sort," Naruto admitted, "But by the time he had finished the first book, he'd become somewhat … resigned, I guess is the best term, to what he perceived as humanity's foolishness."

"Humanity's foolishness?"

"All the wars, fighting over things that really won't last, religion, the almost intrinsic need to be seen as 'better' or more 'successful' than others, being unwilling to help others simply because they don't look right or aren't what we want them to be." Naruto shrugged, "It's all fairly stupid if you think about it. Yet humanity persists with these and more."

Mr Publisher looked more than a little uncomfortable at the topic, and tugged at his collar. "Ah, yes, I see your point. Moving along, I assume you're here to submit the next installment?"

Naruto smiled, pulling a volume from an inside pocket of his own dark blue suit. Jiraiya would be so proud that his work was such a popular item in this world. Naruto just dreaded the time when he'd probably be forced into writing the next book just to keep things rolling.

 **XxXxXxXx**

"Naruto-sama, how exactly do you plan to fill your peerage if you don't look for suitable members?" Albedo asked as they were finishing up one of his lessons in magic.

He grinned in response, "I'm taking a leaf out of Father's book. You remember of course how he sent the Malachite sisters to find the best possible heir they could?"

Albedo nodded, of course she remembered. What did that have to do with anything though?

"Well I've set Yugao, Konan, and Kurama to watching through a kind of viewing portal for appropriate members that can be found in other worlds."

"Oh." She blinked in shock. Why hadn't any other devil thought of doing this before? When she asked this question, Naruto chuckled.

"Probably because we don't belong there, those other worlds reject us after a while," He explained. "It is only because of the magic of this world, the 'Rules' so to speak, that I can stay here. Since Father made me his son through a ritual, which gave me a kind of citizenship here, I won't be rejected now. But in those other worlds, I would be a transient visitor at best, and overtly interfering is likely to piss off the Rules there. Those Rules then force us out of that other realm and back to where we belong."

"But no such problem exists with the nearby human world!" She protested.

He nodded, "Yeah, that's because it is bound up in the same 'Realm' and 'Rules' as this Underworld. So there is no rejection."

Albedo had swirls in her eyes as she tried to understand, and failed. This caused Naruto to chuckle and pat her head lightly, which elicited a small blush from her.

He was her new Master, and Albedo was already seeing him in that light. Some of the others, most notably Shalltear, were going to take more time to get used to him, but Albedo would do her duty, such as she saw it.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it, Albedo," Naruto smiled widely at her, forcing his eyes closed. "It's complicated. Just trust me when I say that I doubt heavily that I would be able to visit any particular world more than once for a short period."

"Yes, Naruto-sama."

 **XxXxXxXx**

"Sit around and look badass, he said." Kurama grumbled as he watched images of different worlds fly across the pane of a floating mirror. "Maybe scare the shit out of some people, he said. Hah! Then why am I doing this?"

"Oh be quiet, Kurama," Yugao stated irritatedly, "I don't really want to do this either, but this belly of mine is starting to get in my way. It's not supposed to be this big yet! I'm barely more than two months along!"

Konan snickered from her position beside the purplette, "Hey, I'm almost twice as big as you are, and you don't hear me complaining! At least we're doing something, instead of just being lazy."

"Do either of you actually know how he's got his 'fingers' in so many worlds?" Yugao asked, changing the topic, the air quotes easily heard.

Kurama nodded with a grin, the sight of his sharp teeth sending a shiver up the women's spines. "He sealed each of his Evil Pieces into individual summoning fliers, each one set to activate only under certain conditions, and then threw them out into a dimension-crossing spell. The spell itself was set to randomize the location for each of the summon pacts, so there isn't likely to be any overlap."

The two women nodded, both with looks of understanding. It was basically Naruto doing something rash and foolish again, sending out uncontrolled random deals. At least each of them was sent to a different world, that way there was no possibility of two former enemies being brought in as his Peerage members.

Kurama's eyes lit up in glee, "Oh, it seems we have our first one."

"Kurama, just what are the conditions that he set those fliers for?" Yugao asked as her attention was captured by the image in the mirror zeroing in on one particular window.

Kurama's grin darkened with a hint of evil respect, "Death and Despair." (3)

 **XxXxXxXx**

She didn't understand what was going, or why it was happening. She had served faithfully, hadn't she? She had fought with all she had, and had just found the strength to fight on when her Lord had appeared in front of her and almost cut her in half, leaving her to fall to the ground from several hundred feet in the air.

Her mind flashed through what she could remember of her life as she lay upon concrete. Her first real memory being that of a ravenous hunger. A hunger for souls, preferably the souls of the still-living. A hunger that she had sated at every turn, the souls devoured giving her more power with each one she ate. Then came a moment when her hunger abated, allowing her to think clearly for the first time, and she wondered just what the point of it all was. Sure, eating the souls of those human creatures gave her power, but why did she crave it? Why get all that power, if there was nothing to _do_ with it? And really, there wasn't anything she actually wanted to accomplish. She was just gaining strength and power for the sake of satisfying the hunger within her.

The memories unfolded further, her body changing again and again, each time becoming more powerful, more… individualized. She wasn't anyone else, she was herself. She was _unique_.

She was alone.

In that moment she had a new hunger awaken within her: a hunger for companionship. That hunger evolved into a desire to be seen for herself, as a unique entity. She now craved not just the concept of company, but of recognition.

Over the span of several years, at least as the humans viewed time, she gathered to her side three others. Each of them as unique as she was, but not as powerful. Their strength was more ephemeral, and in a world where the strongest survived by eating the flesh of the weak, they were pretty much bait for anyone on her level.

The oddest thing in her mind was that they were each female and hated anything that was male with a passion.

But by whatever god may exist, they were annoying! Always squabbling over the slightest thing. Only ever agreeing when she broke them apart. However, they were her responsibility, her "friends"... her family.

She vowed to protect them. They would be her reason for becoming stronger, for getting more powerful. She would sacrifice everything for them.

Then came that arrogant asshole. She had driven him off once before, but he apparently hadn't taken the hint. But this time something was strange, he was stronger than he should have been able to get in such a short time. It was confusing, and the surprise of it got the best of her.

He beat her. He had her dead to rights, on her knees, ready for the finishing blow. A blow that never came.

 _HE_ had saved her from the bastard. _HE_ blasted the beast into oblivion. _HE_ offered her his hand, and even more power, a power that she could use to make sure something like this never happened again.

She took it, and followed him, swearing her loyalty and service. She gained power, and _HE_ gave power even to her family, and they continued to follow her. She was their leader, their "mother". They remained her responsibility.

She was content. She gained more power over the following years, and rose among the ranks of _HIS_ servants to the third spot. She stood just three places down from him.

 _HE_ revealed plans to go to war, to fight against an injustice that should have been solved long before. And she was the first to agree. She had sworn to serve _HIM_ and if this was what he wanted, then she would gladly lead the charge.

But _HE_ had other plans for her and the others that stood in the top three with her. They, along with _HIM_ and a couple others, would act as a diversion to draw out the most powerful enemies. They would destroy the enemy generals, then continue on to correct the injustice of their world.

The plan had gone perfectly. The enemy indeed sent their strongest to do battle. And though she was forced to watch her family fall to the blade of the lead enemy general, she found herself in battle with a white-haired youth. They both used water as their weapon, they both manipulated the molecules of the air to form their attacks. It was a stalemate.

Then the boy did something she didn't think possible. He manipulated the very weather! He changed the once sunny day into an overcast storm cloud that unleased small snow particles. But this wasn't normal snow, no. Wherever it touched it transformed into flowers of ice. These crystals built quickly, and many of them formed upon her own body, and eventually she was trapped within a giant ice crystal made of many tiny flowers.

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move even the smallest of muscles. She was frozen.

But her Lord was still out there! _HE_ still needed her! She had failed her family, but she could not fail _HIM_! She dug deep within herself, and found, to her great surprise, a power of her own sleeping.

She grasped it. She forced it to awaken. And she was once again reborn.

Her prison of ice shattered. She stood on air proudly in her new body. She flashed to the side of her Lord.

Then blinding pain, both physical and emotional. _HE_ stared at her with contempt, a sneer that wounded her heart. _HIS_ sword was covered in her blood, acheived when he almost bifurcated her. _HIS_ voice breaking her heart with his final words as she fell.

"I have no need for a failed pawn to return. You should have just stayed dead within your prison."

Now she lay bleeding out, her heart in more pain than she thought she could bear. The physical wound didn't even hurt in comparison. Her Lord, her Savior, had thrown her out with the trash.

It made no sense! She had found this power within her for _HIS_ sake! All so she could still serve and protect _HIM_! Why was _HE_ throwing away her loyalty, all her years of service? Did it all mean nothing to _HIM_?

Finally she felt her strength eb. Her eyes closed. A single tear fell from beneath her eyelid. Her heart screamed within her, the loneliness and betrayal taking one last turn. Her lips parted, and a soundless whisper came from between them.

"Someone, save me."

In that instant a flash of golden light enveloped her, and Time stood still. Her eyes snapped open, her pain all but forgotten in surprise. Before her stood a young man, a blonde boy who appeared to be in his mid-teens as humans reckoned things. He had a small sad smile, and his silver-blue eyes held an understanding so deep her heart instinctively knew he felt her pain.

"Well, before I get to anything else, I believe introductions are in order." He sketched a courtly bow, his gaze never leaving hers. "My name is Naruto Asmodai. I have come in response to your request for someone to save you."

She blinked, but her stare refused to leave the view of his eyes. Eyes that revealed a great deal of intimate knowledge of the feelings of Pain, Heartbreak, and Betrayal. Emotions that currently coursed strongly within her breast. The fact that he knew them so well, was what probably persuaded her to speak.

Finally after what felt like hours, but was only a few moments, she found her voice. A sweet, soft sounding voice that belied the strength of the woman who possessed it.

"Tier Harribel. Tres Espada."

"Ah, Tier-san, may I call you Tier-san?" He received a nod and continued, "I'll admit that I'm rather new at this whole 'saving people' thing. Especially the near-dead, like yourself. But I suppose I should really ask what you are willing to give up in return?"

Tier blinked again. This was an unusual boy. He had no doubt that he could save her. Save her from death, and maybe more than death. She firmed her resolve, her expression showing her conviction.

"Everything."

Naruto rubbed his chin, "Everything, you say. Are you sure? That everything includes not only giving up your world, your body, or your very soul, ya know? This is quite literally a deal with a Devil."

Tier's expression didn't so much as twitch. "Yes. I will give you everything I have. Everything I am. Under one condition."

The boy raised his eyebrow. "A condition, huh? And just what do you want, besides not dying?"

"I can see by your eyes, you know the pain I feel right now. You know it well," he didn't give any acknowledgement, but she saw him tense slightly. Obviously this was a sensitive subject, but she pushed on, "I want your sworn oath. I do not wish to feel like this again. If you save me, I will give you my all and everything. In return, you swear to never betray me like HIM."

Naruto stood for a few moments, his eyes closed in thought. Or so she believed. When his eyes opened again, Tier saw his answer in those expressive orbs.

He held out a hand to her, in it was a transparent red object that looked like a female warrior. It was a fitting image in her mid. "Very well, Tier Harribel, you have my word. Our Contract is formed. You will become my Queen, my Second-in-Command, serving me with everything you have, and in return I swear to never betray you. You will stand by my side, in the most important role, and make certain that I keep my promise."

Without taking her gaze from his, Tier reached out and grasped the item in a tight fist, not even taking into account that she could move again. A red light glowed faintly from between her fingers, and she felt the Piece become part of her. She felt the power, the strength, the renewal of her body as the open wound in her gut closed. She could feel it changing her, the hole in her lower abdomen vanishing(4) as she was remade from a Hollow into whatever this item was turning her into. A devil, she supposed, as that was what Naruto had called himself earlier.

But more than all of that, Tier felt herself connect to someone else. She could now feel Naruto in a way that she had never experienced before. Her heart felt his, felt his emotions, one incredibly strong that she didn't recognize, and she felt herself cling to that one incredibly strong feeling. She was no longer hungry for souls or power, no longer hungry for a reason to exist. This young man would be her reason, her heart's support. She was full now, full of his emotions, his very presence.

And she felt no regret. Her former lord had thrown her away, tarnishing any attachments that may have remained. Her new Lord, her King, she could feel it now. This young man would not betray her, he would never forsake her.

Tier buried her face into his chest and cried. She cried tears of relief. Tears of joy and fulfilment.

She would never be alone again. This man would forever be with her. He would never allow her to feel the pain of loneliness again.

And in that moment, Tier vowed to herself. She would never let him feel alone either. Whatever he asked of her, she would do with a glad heart. In that moment she promised to forever be his.

Naruto Asmodai's Queen, Tier Harribel.

 **XxXxXxXx - Ending Notes**

Why can't Naruto go back to his world? This will be explained later, but it's a major point so don't worry, I'll get to it in time.

Icha Icha in the DxD universe? Let's face it people, we are, at heart, a lustful and lecherous race. Could many of you honestly say that you wouldn't be tempted to buy at least one of them if they really existed?

For those who are wondering, the "Death and Despair" triggers mean the fliers will activate when a potential member is either dying or in such a great amount of despair that they might as well be dying. In other words: I'm basically going to be taking people who don't really have much of a connection to their own worlds after a certain point. Not always, but it will be a recurring theme.

Alright, according to Tier's official wiki page, her Hollow Hole is in her lower abdomen where her womb is supposed to be. It is simply that in this case, when I speak of the hole in her, I mean the open slash wound as well. … Now won't that be a shock to her later?

 **Tier Harribel as Queen! Why? Because I felt she fit that position better than damn near anyone else I could think of. At least without stealing from Sirzechs, and I didn't feel like doing that. So Naruto's Peerage stands thus:**

 **Queen- Tier Harribel**

 **Bishop- Rias Gremory**

 **Well that's it for this chapter! See you with the next one for the first Knight!**

~Dreaming of the Phoenix~


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**

 **Chapter 05: The Queen Awakes, Adjustments Part 1, and the First Knight**

Tier Harribel felt distinctly strange upon her consciousness returning, having fallen asleep soon after accepting that strange young man's help. She didn't feel empty, Hollow- Hungry -anymore. Instead she felt invigorated, and she revelled in it. It was such a feeling of fulfillment that she almost wanted to sing.

 _Granted, the Hunger was mostly gone already when I became Arrancar, but it was still there._ She thought, her muddled mind slowly marshaling itself despite an inner wish to simply bask in the sensation of being Hunger-free.

She could feel that she was in a remarkably soft bed, with the softest of covers over her body and plumpest of pillows beneath her head. It was odd, she had never really bothered with any sort of real comfort before, preferring to simply sleep on a kind of stone slab. So finding herself in this level of luxury, she decided to just enjoy it for the moment.

As her consciousness returned more fully, she could feel that her body was naked beneath the coverlets. It was strange that she felt no amount of embarrassment though, when the thought that her new Lord might well have been the one to strip her while she was out cold. She had always held something of a wary understanding of men, and this one was bypassing all the walls she naturally put up that even her previous boss hadn't passed so easily.

Squirming slightly, relishing the feel of the soft sheets on her, one hand unconsciously trailed down across the plain of her smooth stomach to her lower abdomen, where he Hollow Hole was supposed to be...

Tier's eyes snapped open in shock when her hand encountered nothing but more smooth skin. Her hole was gone? How? Was this part of what that boy, Naruto-sama, had done to her? Was this what he meant by giving up even her body? What about the comment about surrendering her soul as well? Did she still possess her powers as a Hollow, as an Espada? Was she now just a weak little thing, unable to protect her silent vow to never allow Naruto-sama to be alone?

A quiet snore broke her from her runaway thoughts. Her gaze moved to the side of the bed she occupied, and saw her new master asleep in a chair, his head resting on the bedside. A small trail of drool out of one corner of his mouth told her that her lord was still asleep, and probably had been there for a long time.

Tier couldn't help herself, and a small smile made it's way onto her lips. Her master looked adorable like this. His golden-blonde hair as messy as she remembered, snoring lightly with a little bit of drool, and her right hand clasped tightly in his own…

Wait, what?

She looked again, and sure enough, he had her right hand held in his. Her smile grew from a small one, into one of gentle amusement. It was too bad that he'd never see her smiles, she thought, the bone fragments would hide her lower face from him…

"You should smile more often, it really highlights your beautiful face," a young masculine voice said, startling her.

Her gaze refocused on Naruto's face, and saw he had a smirk and one eye open. When did he wake up? And how did he without her noticing?

Then his words hit her, and her free hand flew to her face. She expected bone reminiscent of a shark. Hard. Unyielding. Instead her questing fingers were met with soft skin, softer lips, and the feel of her chin and cheekbones. Never mind that she already knew that her hole was gone, this was just too much to hope for!

"How-?" Her confusion and wonderment evident in her soft tone.

Naruto's smirk widened as he sat up and stretched a little, never letting go of her hand. "Whatever race you were, you are now a devil. And no devil will live with a permanent hole in them, or with those bones blocking their mouth. The Queen, the Evil Piece I used on you, reincarnated you as a perfect devil, rather than leaving you as you were."

"Devil?"

"Mmhm," He hummed, settling back into his chair. "I said it didn't I? You were making a literal deal with a devil. The devil in this case being myself. Welcome to an unknown spot on the food chain."

"Unknown?"

He shrugged and his grin seemed to widen further, "I'm not entirely certain where we devils stand in the grand order of things. There are some who would claim to be at the top, but I really don't believe them. Then there are those who would say that we are the scum of the earth, that we don't even deserve to exist. Yeah, I don't agree with them either. Personally? I figure we're somewhere in the middle."

He said it all with such a cheerful tone, that Tier couldn't stop a small giggle. He painted such an interesting picture with his words, and she found she suddenly didn't really care if she didn't have her Hollow abilities anymore. She would be just as glad to start fresh if this was the kind of man she was standing with.

Aqua met silver-blue, and Tier found herself drowning in his emotions. Fear that she would reject him for something, hope that she would accept the situation. Trepidation and excitement in equal measure.

She reached out her free olive-skinned hand, at least her skin hadn't changed color on her, and cupped his still-grinning cheek gently. "Naruto-sama, you have nothing to be worried about. Remember our contract, so long as you do not abandon me, I shall stay by your side."

His grin disappeared, and a look of confusion replaced it. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

It was Tier's turn to be confused, her hand coming back to rest on the sheets over her heart. "I can feel you. Your emotions are as plain to me as the sky." She cast a puzzled look at him, "Is this not what was supposed to happen?"

He shook his head, "No, everything I've read about the Evil Pieces, nothing like this was mentioned."

"What do you think it means?" She was worried now, and it was scaring her. She hadn't had to deal with real emotions in so long! And what few she'd still had as a Hollow were well-controlled.

Naruto quickly reached out and grasped her hand in his, sending a feeling of reassurance to try and calm her wildly beating heart. "No need to worry, Tier-san. We'll figure it out, neh? Together."

Her fear vanished like water in a desert, her heart calming in contentment as she felt his assurance across the bond. She spent a few minutes making certain that she was indeed calm, silently reveling in the feelings she was receiving, then nodded, "Yes. Together."

A sudden look of consternation crossed his face, and Tier could feel a small amount of annoyance and resignation from him. "Oh, I hope it's not the Pieces. Ajuka told me there could be something strange, but this?"

Tier sat up, ignoring the absolutely clear view of her naked upper body that she was giving Naruto. "What do you mean?"

Naruto sighed, running a hand through his hair even as he tried to find somewhere safe for his eyes to look, finally settling on her face. "The set of Evil Pieces I have, the Queen I used to reincarnate you as a devil? It's not exactly a standard set. For one thing, they are _supposed_ to look like red versions of those."

He waved a hand at a standing chessboard, complete with both sides of white and black pieces already set up. The pieces didn't look like anything, really. You could tell each of the six types of pieces apart easily enough, but beyond that they didn't look like anything special. Certainly nothing like the incredibly detailed Piece she had…absorbed? Was that what happened?

With an internal shrug, Tier figured that was probably as good as term as any.

"I was told that the set I got may have additional complications due to the differences they held from the standard," Naruto admitted sheepishly, "But they were made especially for me, so I didn't really see a reason not to use them."

He paused for a moment, "That and I highly doubt I'd be allowed another set. So I have to use what I have."

Tier's mind was running a mile a minute. She wasn't a stupid person, not by a long shot. She was of an extremely logical mindset, however. By putting little bits of information together, some of those bits quite often being so small that no one normally noticed them, she quickly reached a series of conclusions that left her surprised yet again.

"So you're saying, that the Queen you used on me, not only made me whole and turned me into a devil, it made a connection between us? A one-way connection that lets me know your current emotional state even if you're trying to hide it?"(1)

With a small grimace, he nodded. She couldn't believe it, and he couldn't blame her. It was a whacked-out theory.

Unfortunately, it was the only one they had.

Naruto's expression turned serious. "I think we should bring this up with Ajuka Beelzebub. As the creator of the Evil Piece system, I think he may be the best person to have an answer for us."

Tier nodded and slipped out of the bed, heedless still of her naked body. She turned her head this way and that, before asking,"Where are some clothes, Naruto-sama? While I don't mind you looking, it would not do for others to see me like this."

Stemming a small amount of embarrassment, and covering his eyes with one hand despite knowing he'd never forget that wondrous sight - _damned teenage hormones!_ -, he pointed at a set of double doors that would lead her to a walk-in closet filled with women's clothing. This was originally Lady Kethry's room before she married Gressen, and had used it primarily because of an old tradition where the bride-to-be had to live in her groom's household for a time before the wedding.

 _This is going to be a looong day._

 **XxXxXxXx**

It was a long ride to Ajuka Beelzebub's laboratory. Thankfully it was made fairly comfortable with the stretch limo that was owned by the Asmodai family, and with Sebas driving the trip was going rather smoothly. The only sticking point at the moment was young Rias' reaction to Tier. The redhead sat on one side and just stared at the new Queen with a blank expression.

Naruto could hardly blame the girl either. If for nothing else than that Tier's choice of clothing was… interesting.

The blonde woman kept her short, messy hairstyle, complete with three braided locks. And that was where the tame ended. Dark blue hakama that rode low on her wide hips, kept up by a thick black belt, and left a fair amount of skin along the outside of the thighs open to the air covered her legs, accompanied by a pair of dark blue thin-soled boots. To compliment this Tier had donned a small, long-sleeved jacket that barely hid her breasts from view and terminated in attached gloves, with a grey-furred collar.(2)

Naruto didn't know if this was simply what she was comfortable with or if she was purposely teasing him, but he honestly wasn't complaining. And if the amused looks she gave him every time his eyes wandered over her were any indication, then she was fully aware of the effect her outfit was having on him. But seeing the outfit caused him to wonder just what kind of person the late Lady Kethry was, because that certainly wasn't a modest look by any stretch of the imagination!

Naruto himself had donned a simple grey pinstripe suit with a white shirt left unbuttoned at the top two. It had become his default outfit whenever he wasn't at home, mostly because Albedo, Yugao, and Konan all agreed that it looked good on him. And if there was one thing he had learned quickly, it was that when more than one of the women in your life, be they romantic partners or not, agreed on something, it was best for his health if he went with it.

"Really, you chose her for your Queen?"

Naruto sighed, his hand coming up to cover his eyes. This was not the first time Rias had asked this exact question. It seemed the young girl simply could not understand his reasoning.

Well, it wasn't really his reasoning, but rather the spell and the Piece that chose her, but Rias didn't know that. And quite frankly, Naruto had no intention of telling her that either. It was something she didn't really need to know after all.

"For the umpteenth time, Rias, yes. Tier is my new Queen." Naruto said, his voice heavy with annoyance.

"But why her?" The girl was persistent, he'd give her that.

"Rias," Naruto said seriously, one eye peeking out from between his fingers, "If you don't drop it, I am going to be very cross with you."

The young devil immediately zipped her lips and sat ramrod straight. Those were not the silver-blue eyes she had come to know. No, she saw a glimpse of a murderous slit on a bloody background.

Tier frowned at him in worry, and gently placed a calming hand on his shoulder. She could feel his irritation keenly. It was just shy of actual rage, and she was glad that her silent support managed to calm him down. It was also nice to actually see him show his emotions, unlike her previous boss who always went to great lengths to seem inscrutable and all-knowing. Even if Naruto's seemed to be more volatile at the moment, it was nice contrast to Aizen.

Naruto drew in a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. "Alright. Sorry, stressful few weeks so I'm a little on edge. I'm good. And Rias, if you really need to be sure of Tier's ability to be Queen of my Peerage, you'll just have to wait and see."

Rias nodded hesitantly. But she had to wonder just what that strange eye was about. People's eyes didn't just change like that! And the feeling she'd gotten from it, like if she disobeyed she'd be torn limb from limb… though it also made her think that she had chosen the appropriate style for her new life under him: the traditional white haori(3) and red hakama of a Japanese Miko(4), both marked with the Asmodai family crest(5), and finished her look with a traditional hair-tie and tabi with waraji.(6)

Why did the girl think it was appropriate? Well it was mostly because a bishop is a high-ranking member of the Church, a Priest. By becoming one of Naruto's Bishop Pieces, Rias thought of the irony of at least looking like a Japanese priestess. And she would likely be touting Naruto's saving of her from that wretched contract to any who asked, which may or may not end up sounding like a priest giving a sermon.

 _*Shudder* Okay, maybe not quite that bad._ Rias thought to herself.

If nothing else, she found it amusing, and Naruto didn't really mind. Japanese traditional clothing was rather voluminous, and surprisingly warm. So he had no problem if she wanted to wear it.

Partly because she wore a simple long skirt and turtleneck inside the mansion for comfort.

The three of them fell into a quiet companionable silence. Awkward, yes, but companionable for all that. The quiet allowed Naruto to slip into a light doze that quickly deepened into real sleep, using Tier's shoulder as his pillow.

Sebas drove very carefully, so there wasn't even so much as a bounce to disturb his passengers. The fact that his new Master was riding in the back just made him that much more determined to provide a smooth ride with no trouble. And if trouble found them anyway… well, Sebas was fully prepared to deal with anything shy of God's Wrath.

A few minutes later, Rias broke the silence by asking a quiet question. "Tier-san, do you know why we're going to meet with Beelzebub-sama?"

The blonde woman looked at her and gave a small nod; she didn't want to disturb Naruto after all. Especially when he looked so peaceful in sleep. Unfortunately her seemingly indifferent attitude always somewhat irked Rias.

Rias gained a small tick mark, but reigned in her annoyance. She didn't want to wake Naruto either, and losing her cool now may bring back those scary red eyes. So she kept her calm and continued in a soft voice.

"So? Why are we going to meet with him?"

Tier answered just as softly, "To see if there is something wrong with me."

"What do you mean?" Rias' curiosity was piqued.

"I mean that there seems to be something odd about the Queen that was used on me," Tier explained, "It formed a kind of one-way connection between Naruto-sama and myself. I can feel his emotions as if they were my own."

The young girl's eyebrows shot up past her messy bangs, "You can feel-? Are you sure it's the Piece?"

"Yes. Naruto-sama and I have come to the conclusion that it must be the Piece, because prior to my change emotions were-" Tier hesitated for a moment, searching for a safe term to use, "-difficult for me."

Rias chewed on her lower lip. She had done her study on the Evil Piece system of course, as a former heiress she had been slated for her own set. Not that she couldn't still get one for herself, but it could cause her more trouble than it would be worth. However, she had never come across anything in her reading about any kind of empathic connection being made, one-way or otherwise.

She recalled the ridiculously detailed wizard-shaped Bishop that had been used on her. Could that have had a similar effect? Could her Bishop piece from Naruto-sama have done something to her like Tier's Queen piece?

Now that she thought about it… her mind did seem much clearer and less flighty than it used to. Like it was easier to focus and remember things, or to analyze…

Rias' eyes widened. If her suspicions were true, then it would be not only unprecedented, it could change the very nature of the Evil Piece system!

 _Come to think of it, the plots of my animes have been getting boringly predictable lately. ... Still gonna watch them, though. Some of that stuff is just too cool!_

 **XxXxXxXx**

Ajuka Beelzebub was stumped. He stared at a computer screen with various types of data, all pertaining to the mystery that was Naruto's Queen. Running a hand through his slicked-back green hair,, mussing it slightly, the Maou wondered if it wasn't more the fact that she was a previously unknown species, a 'Hollow" she called herself, reacting to the spell inherent in the Piece in a unique way instead of something weird with the Piece itself.

He sighed, "I don't know what to tell you, Naruto. There's nothing wrong or strange about the Piece inside her. Nor is there something with the Bishop you put into young Rias. If I had to point a finger at something strange, I think I'd point it at you."

Naruto's eyes widened, "Me?"

"Yes." Ajuka nodded firmly. "You and that damned Daikoku's Blessing!"

Naruto sweatdropped and rubbed the back of his head. "I forgot about that thing," he muttered.

Ajuka snorted, of course the moron forgot about one of the most ambiguous Sacred Gears that existed. Daikoku's Blessing was a Gear that only showed up in in a handful of stories at best throughout the history of the Sacred Gears. Despite its passive nature, which relegated it to ranks of the low-tier Gears, the damned thing gave immense boosts to its wielder's luck in times where they were gambling. The typical stories ended up being about the wielder winning some kind of huge monetary bet.

The worst part was that it wasn't stuck to just showing up in the adjacent human world! The stupid Gear could pop up anywhere!

Rias looked confused, "Um, Daikoku's Blessing? What's that? Isn't Daikoku the Japanese god of gambling luck?"

Tier raised an eyebrow. This was the first she was hearing of anything like this. She resolved to keep her mouth shut, if only so she could learn more.

Ajuka nodded distractedly, "Yes, he is. However, at some point the Biblical Asshole thought it would be funny to make a Sacred Gear based off his ability to grant absurd luck. Naruto here managed to be born with it."

The older devil rubbed his forehead, "In short, it's not the Pieces, it's that damned Gear. Tier-san has said that as a Hollow, emotions were difficult for her. And now that she's a devil she says she lacks the distinctive bone-like armor of her species, as well as some kind of 'hole'? Ajuka looked at the blonde woman and received a nod. "I think that what happened is this: When trying to reincarnate her, the Piece ran into the problem that a flesh and blood creature would have difficulty with a permanent hole in them, and the Gear activated. Using the energy that created the bone armor, which I am hypothesizing is her emotional energy, and filling that hole. This had the unintended result of returning her emotions, her 'heart' in other words, which then latched onto the strongest thing they could find: Naruto."

Naruto looked at Tier and Rias confusedly, receiving confused looks on their parts as well. He rubbed his temples, "Ajuka… can we get that dumbed down, please?"

"I believe he's saying that the cause is not so much the Piece, but a combination of the Piece with my own unique Hollow physiology and your Gear's ability to randomly do something," Tier explained in a quiet monotone. She smiled internally, she was already starting to get control of herself again. While she kind of enjoyed feeling things again, it was also discomforting.

Ajuka shivered, that voice creeped him right the fuck out!

"So," Rias started shyly, "It's basically a giant cluster of weird things all happening together?"

Ajuka nodded, leaning back and crossing his arms. "Pretty much, yes. If you're wondering about your own situation, I believe that the Bishop took a small portion of Naruto's personality, or his shinobi training, and added it to your own."

"Huh?"

Sighing, the Maou shifted in his seat, "Naruto comes from a very war-like culture. A wizard, such as the shape of your Piece, is an extremely knowledgeable person, and an aged one is even more so. My thoughts are that the Piece noted how young you are, and gave you a small bit of Naruto's own mental training and fortitude so you wouldn't be overwhelmed when he starts doing crazy shit."

"In other words," Naruto interrupted, "What you're trying to say is that this is all my fault?"

"Essentially, yes." Ajuka admitted without preamble. He didn't really care what happened, but he'd admit that as a scientist and researcher his curiosity was piqued.

"Just fantastic," Naruto drawled sarcastically.

The older devil sighed, "Look, based on these two we can assume that each of the _types_ of pieces in your set will do something strange. The Queen created an empathic bond. The Bishop, Wizard if you prefer, granted a measure of mental training. If we look at the others we can probably assume a few things safely. Your Knights are in the shapes of unicorns, creatures of light and purity, so we can guess that they may very well pass something of your 'light' or 'purity' onto your eventual members."

Naruto nodded, then frowned, "What about the Rook? It's a freaking castle tower on a mountaintop."

Ajuka shrugged, "My guess? Probably something to do with your own natural defensive strengths."

"And the Pawns?" Tier asked, her curiosity winning out over her normal caution. This man was eccentric, yes, but he was also extremely intelligent and reminded her of the Primera Espada.

Ajuka laughed, "Dragons, such prideful creatures. I can only guess that whatever they grant will be based on something about Naruto that he prides himself on, at the deepest levels of his subconscious that is."

"Pride?" Tier raised an eyebrow at her master.

Naruto shrugged, "I dunno, Tier-chan. My subconscious self is something of an asshole."

He noticed a round of incredulous expressions and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head,

"Heh-heh, I, ah, kinda met him once or twice." (7)

Turning back to Ajuka, Naruto asked, "What about her previous species' need to feed on spiritual energy?"

Ajuka's light blue eyes lit up in interest. "That's something else I wanted to know more about. You mentioned that she used to feed on 'spiritual energy', but I found no such physical need during my scans."

Tier cast a bored glance his way, "I assure you, Ajuka-sama, I am well acquainted with my people's truths. We require spiritual energy to survive, though that need drops greatly once one of us becomes what we call Vasto Lorde. I was of the uppermost echelon of that variety, known as Espada."

Ajuka's eyebrow raised. "Those sound Spanish… 'Vast Lord'? 'Sword'? I assume there are reasons for these terms?"

The blonde woman nodded, "The Vasto Lorde is the type of Hollow all wish to become, but to do so is usually reached through feeding on others of our kind. Thus our species is kept from ever attaining its full potential, when at most one in ten million ever reaches that level, for when one of us fed upon, our evolution stops at that point."

He nodded, an expression of pure fascination on his features. Tier continued her explanation, "The Espada were created from the ranks of the Vasto Lorde, each numbered according their potential for destruction, ten to one. The lower the number, the greater the potential. We were formed by a man who thought himself to be suited for the throne of the Spirit King, and were meant to be his sword against his enemies when the time came.

She nodded to Naruto, "That is where Naruto-sama found me. The assault had begun, and I was dying after my lord betrayed me."

Ajuka nodded again, rapidly digesting the information. "What number were you? You say were in the top ranks, but you said you were dying from being betrayed…"

Tier stared at him for a moment before answering, her blank expression causing Ajuka to squirm slightly on the inside. "Three. I was the Tres Espada, recognized as the one with the third highest potential for destruction."

Ajuka just nodded. Maybe he should just see about watching this world she came from for himself, and get these people out of his house as quickly as possible. This woman's blank-faced attitude was seriously creeping him out!

 _Note to Self: Do not let Tier Harribel and Grayfia Lucifuge meet!_

 **XxXxXxXx**

Another magic lesson with Albedo a few days later was expanded to include both Tier and Rias. Tier had said that she used to possess a rather large affinity for water-based techniques and wanted to see if she still had them, while Rias was testing something else. She wouldn't say what, and her discussions with Albedo were quiet enough that the other two couldn't really hear anything.

That last bit annoyed Naruto a little. He had better hearing than most humans could ever hope for, and it wasn't because of becoming a devil. He had spent enough time in his childhood running around the back alleys of Konoha that he had developed an excellent sense of hearing. It was one of the things that allowed him to avoid some of the more persistent self-styled "Fox Hunters" each year around his birthday.

Not memories he dug into lightly, but he was thankful that there weren't any actual mobs chasing him around back then. Just the odd wasted moron who typically ended up in Konoha's T&I under the not so tender mercies of Morino Ibiki.

Naruto's slightly annoyed expression turned to slight awe, though, when he watched Tier practically dance with the water she called up in her training. If he had to guess, he'd say that her affinity for Water was pretty damned close to his for Wind. She called the Water, and the Water answered her instantly. The closest he had ever even heard of such before was the Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama, who was said to be able to use his _Suiton_ ninjutsu even in the harsh Suna desert. In Naruto's opinion, Tier's ability was just plain awesome.

The small, absolutely tiny, smile she had lighting up her face while she danced with the water was also an incredibly nice view.

Then there was Rias' ability, the Power of Destruction she inherited from her Bael mother. At first Naruto was somewhat impressed by its potential, but he quickly saw that her power was similar in nature to a _Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu_ in that it was energy given shape and a target, then left to pretty much massacre anything in its way. The fact that her fully released attack took on the form of a large black serpentine dragon didn't help in that impression.

Well that, and it was slow. He wasn't certain if that was simply his ninja training talking, or if it was something else, but he knew most second-year students in the Academy could have dodged that blast and have time to launch a counter attack. Assuming said student hadn't frozen, crapped and pissed their pants, and been too terrified to move out of the way that is. Naruto was fully willing to admit that the blast of energy naturally taking the form of a dragon was slightly intimidating, and most of the Academy students were civilian kids trying to get away from the boring tedium of their parents' lives.

So he created several _Kage Bunshin_ to act as surrogate teachers to help Rias get her spell-slinging up to speed.

It wasn't going very well. Certainly she had increased her casting time… by thirty seconds. In regards to her childish tendencies to spin, twirl, or otherwise _pose before attacking_ , it was a fair and dramatic bonus. Now he just had to explain to her that posing should be done _after_ her opponent was defeated.

And by "defeated" he meant "dead and buried".

There was no room for such antics on the battlefield, and he blithely ignored the many times when he had done the same thing. Yugao might have called him on those moments, but she wasn't there.

Once again she was with Konan and Kurama, waiting for the Mirror of Remote Viewing(8) to focus in on another potential member for his peerage.

Naruto shook his head, and turned his attention back to his newest spell, one he absolutely _had_ to control properly, or his talent for destroying things might very well end up killing them all.

 _Frost Spear_ was a result of one of Tier's questions about low-level water spells. Apparently for magic, Ice was simply one aspect of Water, and so all ice-type spells fell under the Water category. Naruto would be the first to say that his ability in Water was minimal at best, so he was only really going to learn how to cast a few low-level spells, and then learn how to recognize the casting of anything higher so he could dodge or block as the situation required.

At least, for the time being.

 _Frost Spear_ was supposed to conjure a small super-chilled area that would freeze water molecules within it into thin, sharp lances of ice, and then hurl them at the enemy in rapid succession. In theory, simple. In practice?

Not so simple. Naruto's noted affinity for destruction was once again playing havoc with his spells. His first few attempts were reasonable, three to four spears lanced his target without issue. Then his luck kicked in with a vengeance, and a small storm of frozen spears rained down out of the sky and demolished the area around him for nearly fifty yards in any direction.

And it just got worse from there.

Thankfully Albedo was a Master of Defense, which meant she specialized and preferred defense oriented spells. She had cast a one-way kind of dome-like barrier, spell energy could go out, but nothing could get in. Then she cast a second cylindrical barrier to keep everything inside _that_ and thus had created a safe space for training her lord's unruly powers.

With a sigh, Naruto bent his will to his task. He dropped into a meditative stance, and felt within himself for his devil magic. It was pretty easy to find, all things considered. He had managed to isolate and identify his chakra away from his magic fairly early on in his training, mostly because his storehouse of magic was nearly twenty times bigger than his chakra, which he attributed to gaining the accumulated power of the previous Asmodai generational heads.

In his mind, standing before the well that was his magic, Naruto stopped. What had made his first few attempts so much easier to control? What made them so much more successful? Or was that the wrong way of thinking about it? Could it be that like his chakra, it had to be done in a certain way? To really use his Wind chakra he had envision two blades of wind grinding against each other. Could he use that same principle with his magic?

If so, then what characterized Water? What made Water move? What made Water, Water? It wasn't simply that it was wet, or that it made things wet. There was something he had to realize before it would come to him, something about the Nature of Water.

 _Let's see..._ He thought, standing before his well of magic with his mental arms crossed, _What do I know about the elements? What was it Iruka-sensei said in that class? Fire is a Purifier, it cleanses and renews that which it destroys. Wind is a Confrontationalist, never standing still, never apologizing, it cuts away the dross and renders speech pointless as it says everything with its actions. Lightning is Wrath, it pierces everyone and everything equally and makes no discernment between friend or foe. Earth is Steadfast and Enduring, but also Gentle as it nurtures and guides as a Mother. And Water…_

Naruto wracked his memory, and his eyes widened as the lesson surfaced, … _Water is Ever-flowing! It is the Giver of Life, and washes away all impurities, forgiving all transgression!_

 _No wonder its not my element,_ Naruto thought ruefully, _I may be able to forgive and forget, but I hold a grudge against people who piss me off too easily._

His gaze returned to deep pool of energy before him, _So to get my Water spells to work properly, I have to let them "flow", huh? Don't force it, but let it run its course… and I should probably drop my frustration with it as well._

His wry expression at that last thought would have probably made his companions laugh. With another sigh, his held out one hand toward the pool, coaxing a tendril to come forth. Once in hand, he looked up at the ceiling of his mindscape and willed himself to return to consciousness, never noticing a pair of bright red eyes glaring out at him from the darkness.

His real eyes snapped open, his right hand came up, palm out, his golden circle flaring to life in front it. The air around him cooled drastically, and he let the magic flow.

Seconds later his target was demolished, a dozen spears of ice perforating it in a perfect circle.

Naruto slowly released a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Water is ever-flowing, and so too must Water magic be allowed to flow."

A soft clapping caught his attention, and he glanced up from his meditative seat to see all three females with smiles on their faces, applauding him. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He wasn't used to receiving praise, And for some reason, seeing Tier clapping for him with that small smile of hers made him almost giddy.

Albedo stepped forward, "Congratulations, Naruto-sama. I see you have found your problem with your magic?"

He nodded, a smile of his own in place, "Yeah. I just had to remember what a good man tried to teach me. It didn't hit home at the time, probably because I was a huge brat," He laughed deprecatingly at his own expense, "But it certainly makes sense now."

A small window opened up in the air in front him, Kurama's face in it. "Yo, Brat, the mirror's starting it's funky dance again. Looks like a heck of a catch, and one full of irony."

Naruto raised a brow as he stood up, softly talking to himself, "Irony?"

 **XxXxXxXx**

A blaster bolt struck her a glancing blow on her left arm, sending her spinning to the swamp floor. A look of horror etched itself upon her face as she was forced to watch one of her dearest friends be blown to pieces. She rolled over painfully, and stared up into white helmet with a black visor and yellow accents.

"Why?" She croaked, her throat choked with pain both physical and emotional as her thoughts swirled.

"Nothing personal, General," Clone Commander CC-5052, Bly was his name, said professionally as he levelled his blaster at her. "Just orders."

Aayla Secura, Master(9) of the Jedi Order, Closed her eyes with a tear and a silent sob. Her mind was filled with too much pain to focus, and she feared if she called on the Force now she would fall to the Dark Side. She didn't want that, and she could feel it now, the loss of Jedi all over the galaxy, like tiny lights being snuffed out.

The galaxy was a dark place now, and Bly, her friend whom she had trusted with her life on many occasions, was poised to snuff her out as well. She was content to die, for without the Jedi she had nothing to really live for. But her whirling thoughts betrayed her, sending her down a path of memories that she truly did not want to remember.

Born to a slave, the first thing Aayla knew as a child were the slave pens of the Hutts. She wasn't even certain where anymore, what planet or city, she just knew that she was a slave, and that was to be her future as well.

Until one day when that man came. He rescued her, blazing emerald blade in hand. He took her from the pens to the Jedi Temple. He said she had Force potential, the ability to become a Jedi like him.

She was ecstatic. Her hero, the man who saved her, was now giving her a new life. A life where she could grow to be powerful, and never be a slave again! He was showing her a new path. And she took it.

Aayla wasn't the most outstanding student in the Temple, but she did excel in her combat training, and every now and then she stumped her teachers with her agile mind. But nothing could ever really erase the child, a child that now had her freedom. Freedom to do and say what she wanted. But her time as a slave could not be entirely erased either, and she knew that she didn't want to risk her new freedom for something foolish.

So she turned to mischief… the mischief of words. Here her agile mind was a huge boon, because she could say things that had multiple meanings, and all of them would be correct, but the first one most people thought of tended to be funny.

Years passed, and finally she came up for the right to be taught by a Master. She was beyond joyful when she was chosen by the same man who saved her from the pens. He gave his name as Quinlan Vos, a human Consular and Jedi Master, a type of Jedi who focused on the mysteries of the Force. But he didn't let his contemplations stop him from doing what he thought was right, such as saving a little Twi'lek girl-child.

The two of them quickly formed a bond similar to that of Father and Daughter. This came to be something of a problem for Quinlan, as his views in regards to her advancement and training were seen as biased by his fellow Jedi. Or most of them, rather. When the time came for her to undergo the Trials for Knighthood, Quinlan passed her to his own Master to complete her training.

Magnus Tholme, another human male, but this one was old, and he focused primarily upon his combat techniques and his proficiency with his lightsaber. A Jedi Weapon Master, he said he was called. He himself didn't agree with the term, but he was a Master, as was the other person who helped Aayla finish her training.

With him came Jedi Master Tra'Saa, a member of the Neti people, and another who had followed the way of the sword by focusing on her lightsaber and combat prowess. Not that she was any slouch at wielding the Force, oh no, she had plenty of time to work on all aspects of the Jedi. Her race could live up to eight hundred years or so.

These two also became like family to the young Twi'lek girl, taking the positions of a grandfather and grandmother respectively. They nonetheless completed her training and stood beside Quinlan Vos as she received her Knighthood from Jedi Grandmaster Yoda.

Yoda, now there was an odd little thing. He was the oldest Jedi in existence, nearly nine hundred years old, and it was said that he had been the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order for most of those years. He was also the shortest member of the Order, bar none save the absolute youngest children. No one knew what his race was, if it even had a name, but many jokingly referred to him as a "Trog", the term coming from when one person said they thought he looked like the child of a Troll and a frog. Far from being insulted, it was said that Yoda merely laughed and took something of a liking to the name.

Aayla's mind raced forward, there being little between her Knighting and what would start the Clone Wars except for minor missions of a diplomatic nature and the further honing of her skills with a lightsaber, for she had chosen the path of the Guardian, the step before becoming a Weapon Master. She had chosen that path for the simple reason that she wanted strength, the strength to protect what was dear to her, whether the Jedi Code forbade it or not!

The Jedi Code. Now there was an odd little bit of dogma.

 _There is no emotion, there is peace_

 _There is no ignorance, there is knowledge_

 _There is no passion, there is serenity_

 _There is no chaos, there is harmony_

 _There is no Death, there is the Force_

Many took it mean that emotional attachments were forbidden, but that was not true. That assumption led to many a Jedi leaving the Order simply because they fell in love. Yet, when Aayla recited the Code as a Youngling as part of her Initiate Trial, it was a very different wording.

 _Emotion, yet peace_

 _Ignorance, yet knowledge_

 _Passion, yet serenity_

 _Chaos, yet harmony_

 _Death, yet the Force_

To her this meant that though she had emotions, she must control them so they don't run away with her. Though she did not know something, the only crime would be to continue to know nothing. Though she was passionate about combatting evil, she must remain calm and serene so as to not create openings. Though there may be chaos, in the grand scheme of the universe it is all part of the whole. And though she may die, she would forever live on in the Force.

Then the Clone Wars started, and Master Tholme died near the start. That alone almost broke her and Quinlan, who forever carried a regret that he was not there to maybe save the old man's life. It was a long time before either forgave themselves for what they viewed as a failure.

In remembrance of Master Tholme, Aayla delved more deeply into the mysteries of the Force in the hopes of somehow communing with his spirit. She created a second lightsaber of emerald green to compliment her original sapphire blue, and was one of the few Jedi to wield two sabers.

Through her delving into the Force, Aayla found peace yet again.

But there was precious little time for quiet reflection as the Wars raged on, and the call for the Jedi to help became impossible to ignore. And so, Aayla headed once more to the battlefield, this time primarily in charge of a recon unit. She had a thing for wilderness tracking which she chalked up to her time learning under Vos who seemed to hold an intense dislike for crowded places.

Mission after mission, year after year, the Wars dragged on. Before she even knew it, three years had passed, and now she lay in the muck of Felusia, a swamp world that had been her latest assignment. And she was about to be shot to death by a man she had considered to be her friend.

Aayla's heart broke again, and tears streamed freely from behind her closed eyes. "Please," she whispered, just loud enough for her executioner to hear, "Make it quick."

"As you wish, General. Goodbye."

His finger squeezed the trigger. A bolt of bright blue seared the air. She braced herself for pain.

… She didn't feel pain?

Aayla's eyes snapped open, and widened in confusion as they saw young man holding the blaster well out of the line of being able to hit her. Her eyes roved around her, taking in the sight of her entire former squadron were now littering the ground as corpses. She could see the precise lines on each of their throats, easily figuring that they must have been killed by some kind of incredibly sharp implement.

Her gaze refocused on the young man who had presumably saved her just as he turned his head enough to look at her in return. Aayla caught her breath, he was probably somewhere in his mid-teens, but he had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, a deep silvered cerulean that shamed the moonlit seas of even the watery world of Manaan. His shock of untamed blonde hair framed a strong face that would no doubt become more than a little handsome in the years to come. Then there were three whisker-like markings on his cheek which added a bit of a cutely feral appeal.

Confusion hit her full-force, like a Rancor's charge. Who was this young man? Why was he saving her? What could he possibly gain from it other than her gratitude?

Then he spoke to her, and she started a little at the slightest rough undertone. She would know that undercurrent anywhere, she had it too, from her time as a slave. It was the easiest way to mark someone's life, how they talked. Whether they knew it or not, it revealed so much about them.

"Ah, I'm in time I see," He grinned at her over his shoulder. "I'm glad. I would hate to be late. I'm not Kakashi after all."

While that last bit confused her a little more, Aayla figured he was probably referencing someone he knew to almost always be late. Her eyes caught a fast movement as the Clone Commander reached for something on his opposite side, and she tried to call out for him to be careful… only to be met with the sight of Bly's left arm and head rolling free on the ground after a failed attempt to draw a spare blaster pistol.

The blonde man frowned and looked to a woman Aayla hadn't noticed before. An older blonde woman whom might have been mistaken as this young man's relative if not for the very different facial features and natural olive skin tone. Well those and the different eye colors… okay so the only thing they really seemed to have in common was that hair of sun-kissed blonde.

"Ah, thank you, Tier-chan. I really should have dealt with him first," The man commented blandly while staring at the now-headless corpse, before shrugging and turning his full attention on the fallen Twi'lek, proving that the marks she had already seen had twins on his other cheek.

Aayla took a moment to view him better, managing to raise herself into a sitting position. He was dressed a little oddly, that style of suit went out of date so long ago! Yet the grey pinstripe jacket and pants with the white shirt left unbuttoned at the top two seemed to fit this young man, and lent him a dignified air. Her eyes glanced down, and was surprised to see shiny black shoes standing _on top_ of the murky water!

 _How the heck is he doing that…?_

With the young man just presenting more questions, Aayla's confusion only grew. It was almost like she had a tone-deaf Bith trying to play a song in her head now. There were pieces that fit, and many that did not.

Her eyes panned over to the woman and instantly felt as though she had lost at something she didn't even know she cared about. The woman was beautiful, bright yellow hair, deep green eyes, lightly tanned olive skin, and a figure that Aayla knew many women even in the Jedi Order would happily kill their own mothers for. Aayla glanced at her own body, then back to the other woman, and sighed inwardly. While she had confidence in her body's appeal, there was just no comparison, this strange woman- Tier he called her? -easily beat her in the looks department.

And that simply audacious outfit-! The woman would both scandalize and set new trends with such clothing!

Aayla's attention snapped back to the young man when he started talking again.

"I suppose introductions are in order, aren't they? My name is Naruto Asmodai. This," he gestured to the woman behind him, "Is Tier Harribel. And you would be?"

The twi'lek stared at him for a minute, taking in the kind smile and the slightly awkward positioning of his body. He was uncomfortable about something, but what?

"Aayla Secura."

There was no flash of recognition in his eyes, but there was no hostility either, nor was there any sign of cleverly concealed ambition. Just a slight widening of his smile, and small relaxation of his posture.

He was nervous about meeting new people? Is that where the awkwardness came from?

No, it was still there, but the initial introduction had been part of it.

 _Great, more questions._

"Ah! Progress!" He stabbed one finger in the air in triumph. "Now, Aayla-san- may I call you Aayla-san?" He received a confused nod from the blue-skinned twi'lek woman, and continued, "I would guess that you are rather confused about our presence here, am I correct?"

Another nod. _Freaking understatement!_

"Well, believe it or not, we're devils. And we're here to offer you a deal."

Aayla blinked. Devils? Was he talking about the Cortosian Devil pirate gang that had been plaguing the Republic before the Clone Wars? Could this young man be a pirate? Well, it wasn't impossible, some fell into a life of crime early.

"I see you're still confused…"

"A little," Aayla admitted, then changed her answer. "Actually, a lot. Are you speaking of the Cortosian Devil pirates?"

"Ah, no. I mean a real devil. You know, from Hell and all that. Though it's called the Underworld these days."

She blinked again, and asked incredulously, "Are you on drugs?"

Naruto tilted his head, then looked back at Tier, "Gotta say, I should have seen that one coming a while ago."

He sighed, and brought his gaze back to Aayla, then a pair of black over-sized bat-like wings sprouted from his lower back. "No, I'm not on drugs."

Aayla goggled. She'd never heard of a race like this! Rubbing her forehead to try and help think through her confusion, she asked from the safety of hiding behind her hand, "Okay, and just what is this deal of yours?"

She could practically feel his nervousness return tenfold. "Ah, that. Yes, well, the offer is simple. I want you to come with me. Become part of my… family… so to speak. Do so, and I can guarantee your survival. Refuse, and I will be forced to leave you here."

Her eyes blazed with anger, and her hand slipped from her eyes so he could see her fierce countenance. "What do you mean, 'guarantee my survival'? Are you part of this-this-!"

She couldn't bring herself to finish her question, a hard lump forming in her throat. As she blinked back tears, she suddenly realized that there was a rather large- and undoubtedly _sharp_ -metal sword blade at her neck, and she couldn't see the blonde woman.

A female voice hissed into her ear, "Do not insult Naruto-sama! He is nothing like these drones who do nothing but follow orders! He would never betray an ally!"

"Tier, that's enough." Naruto said clearly, his earlier nervousness gone, "She doesn't know any better. Even you haven't known me for long, it's only natural that in her confusion she draw rash conclusions."

"That's no excuse, Naruto-sama," Tier claimed as she gently removed her blade from Aayla's neck, "But as you wish. I will let it slide this once."

Naruto nodded, then dropped his gaze back to the twi'lek. No longer was there any form of nervousness or confusion, and Aayla could readily read the honor in his firmed stance. This was the posture of a man who knew both war and peace, a fighter, a _leader_ , and Aayla found herself unconsciously beginning to trust him. And that loaned his words a greater amount of effect on her wayward thoughts.

"Aayla Secura, rest assured that I had nothing to do with your soldiers turning their weapons on you." He spoke firmly, and she couldn't find it in herself to doubt him. Even her current intuitive abilities with the Force told her that he was telling the truth. "That having been said, I am indeed a devil, from a different universe and reality. I am here to offer you a chance at a new life, with new comrades, as my Knight. I ask only that you think it over carefully, as I have no doubt that whomever is behind this attempt on your life will continue to hunt you down, and try again should you remain."

Aayla nodded without conscious volition. His words made sense, at least when it came to that last part. She wasn't so certain about the rest of it, but could this really be any worse than a life without the Jedi? In a galaxy gone dark, could another darkness be the answer? Was this like falling to the Dark Side?

Was it wrong to be so tempted? Tempted to join a honorable evil?

But evil couldn't be honorable, could it? Yet this young man, this Naruto Asmodai, his stance and frank stare told her that he had honor, but he said he was a real devil. She had no real reason to doubt him either…

Aayla raised her confused brown eyes to his silver-blue, "What does all of it mean?"

Naruto held out his right hand, palm up, and a statue of a rearing transparent red unicorn appeared. "As my Knight, you will become a devil, and your purpose will be to not only serve and protect me, but also to protect others of my House."

Serve and protect? That sounded good, and he'd already mentioned new comrades, so she wouldn't really be alone. Well, she'd probably be the only Jedi in his universe, but she could cast away the inflexible rule about creating bonds with others. Not that she ever really paid much attention to it in the first place. She took too much after her own Master that way.

Maybe she could even find Force Sensitives and train a new brand of Jedi? That could be interesting. Unlikely, yes, but interesting.

But could she abandon her duty as a Jedi in this universe?

"Further," he continued as she held her thoughts, "I will promise you this: I will never abandon or betray you. I will fight with you, laugh with you, cry with you, eat with you. I will be your King, but I will also be your friend. I will support you in your choices, as I hope you will support me in mine."

A beeping sound interrupted them from the headless body of Bly, a small holographic communicator attempting to contact the deceased. A small image popped to life on it when Naruto stooped to pick it up. The figure, despite wearing heavily concealing robes, was obviously male. This was made abundantly clear when they finally spoke after a few moments.

"And who might you be, boy?"

Naruto grinned and replied flippantly, "Oh, you know. Just your average helpful devil out to save the universe one damsel in distress at a time."

"Are you now?" The man seemed to be either darkly amused or merely curious. Naruto was hard pressed to determine which without seeing the man's face. "That's interesting. I was unaware that any of the Jedi had friends among pirates."

"Ah, you refer to those-" Naruto paused and looked to Aayala for support.

"Cortosian Devils," she supplied, easily guessing what he was after.

Naruto turned his attention back to the cloaked figure and finished lamely,"Yeah, them. The Cortosian Devils."

"Of course," the man sneered, "There is no such thing as a real devil. Do not test my patience boy!"

Naruto blinked, and turned back to Aayla, "So… who's this? He just screams Evil Overlord if you ask me."

The twi'lek shook her head, honestly still confused, but quickly coming to the idea that the two blondes might be the only ones she could trust right at that moment. "I don't know."

"I?" The figure asked incredulously, and with more than a bit of spite in his tone, "I am the first Emperor of the First Galactic Empire! I am Darth Sidious!"

Naruto's eyes gleamed for a moment, " 'Sidious', you say? Like the word 'insidious'?"

"Indeed."

"Ah, then I see how you managed all of this," Naruto nodded wisely. "After all, the word insidious tends to mean something that wormed it's way into your infrastructure and then destroyed it from the inside. So I assume that is how you worked. Praying upon people's fears and insecurities, then probably engineering a greater conflict, and maneuvering your biggest threats to be taken out as a result of said conflict, and seating yourself firmly upon the throne."

There was silence, and Naruto could swear he felt all three of the others blinking at him.

"How the _Hell_ did you figure that out so easily?!" Sidious demanded.

"Eh," the blonde boy shrugged, "Believe it or not, sometimes these things just come to me."

"..." the self-proclaimed Emperor was dumbfounded. This child had taken all of about three seconds to see through his entire plan. A plan that had taken Sidious nearly a full century to implement! Who or what was this boy that he managed such a feat?! And he'd managed it all from hearing a _name_?!

"Who _are you?!_ "

Naruto smiled like someone about to explain something to a small child, and gave a small mocking bow. His tone became cultured, benevolent, and for some odd reason carried a heavy British accent.

"Naruto Asmodai, Head of my House, and all-around pain the ass."

Meanwhile for the poor, confused twi'lek woman, that decided it all. Aayla reached out and grasped the unicorn-shaped knight still in the blonde young man's hand. She wanted friends. She wanted family. She wanted to love and be loved. She wanted to be wanted, needed. She wanted so much that the Jedi Code either forbade or warned against.

As a devil, who would care? She certainly wouldn't.

But most of all, she wanted to give one final Fuck You to the bastard that dared tried to have her killed!

… And she was now incredibly curious as to what else this young man would get up to, and just how he managed to put together such disparate facts.

"Hey, Sidious," She heard Naruto say in a taunting, insulting voice, "She's mine now. You want her? You go through me."

In that moment, Aayla Secura, Jedi Master, pledged silently to always support her new King and Friend. He would support her. She would support him. And together they would protect what was important to them. All this and more, as she felt herself enveloped in bright gold light and be reborn.

Aayla Secura, Knight of Naruto Asmodai.

 **XxXxXxXx- Ending Notes**

1- The connection made between Naruto and Tier serves a very specific purpose. It's not a random idea of mine. It IS the result of my dice-rolling, however, to add it to the Queen Piece. The Queen is the Second-in-command, and in the absence of the King she has his authority. This is the only "mutation" that the Queen will be getting, and I think it will be an interesting change.

2- This is basically a dark blue version of Tier's normal outfit, just with the change of a fur collar instead of hiding the lower half of her face.

3- Haori: this not only that over-coat we so often see in Bleach, it is also the word for the upper-body covering of a shrine maiden.

4- Miko: A Japanese Shrine Priestess/Maiden. Often having duties such as exorcisms, I thought it would be kinda funny to put a born devil in one of the outfits.

5- I am not even going to attempt to describe a crest. The thing that pops up in my head every time is the marking used in the Lesser Key of Solomon, so if you want a mental image go look it up.

6- Tabi and Waraji: the traditional socks and reed sandals of Japan.

7- No, I'm not talking about that Yami Naruto from the series. Naruto's subconscious is gonna be a different entity altogether.

8- For those who have seen Overlord, it's that mirror Momonga was using early in the third episode. It's just not limited to only viewing the same world as that one was. For those unfamiliar with Overlord, think a mirror version of the Sandaime's crystal ball.

9- Aayla Secura made the rank of Master before the end of the Clone Wars. When exactly, I'm not certain. It's just listed that way in her profile on Wookiepedia. I presume it was shortly after the Battle of Geonosis, which is what officially kicked off the Clone Wars.

 **YES! Aayla Secura as Naruto's first Knight! I find it supremely ironic that a Jedi would become a Devil, even more one known for her adherence to the Code. Even if I've tweaked her a bit. Next chapter will have the meeting with the Phenex! Oh, now won't that be … enlightening?**

 **It is unfortunate, but Moon is unavailable to me at the moment, so my help on this chapter has come from SkySage24.**

 **The Peerage stands thus:**

 **Queen- Tier Harribel**

 **Bishop- Rias Gremory**

 **Knight- Aayla Secura**

~Dreaming of the Phoenix~


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1.**

 **Chapter 06: Meetings, Adjustments Pt2, and a little bit of Familiar Fun?**

For the third time in as many months Naruto found himself looking at someone he might have mistaken for a relative at first glance. Sitting across a large desk from him was Lord Rexal Phenex(1), in what was previously Gressen's study. Along with him the head of the Phenex family had brought his wife, Aurora Phenex(2), and his third son, Riser.

Rexal Phenex and his son were both blonde haired, blue eyed, and sharp-featured that lent a strong image. Both were tall, though that could simply be Naruto's impression due to his own rather young stature, hard-muscled- but not from hard work, Naruto noted -and they both carried an air about them. That was where the similarities ended.

Lord Rexal carried an air of capability and confidence. It was the air of someone who had seen hard battles and came out again. The air of a warrior, and the way he sat in the chair across from Naruto in his three piece black suit confirmed the image. That, and the way the man's eyes darted almost inconspicuously to the four females arrayed behind Naruto, assessing their threat values, told Naruto a very powerful man sat there.

Riser, on the other hand, was all arrogance, lust, and greed. The air of a spoiled rich brat who didn't learn from his mistakes and continued to think himself invincible because of his family name, family magic, and family wealth. His insouciant and bored posture were easy indicators of this, along with his rumpled burgundy suit, and Naruto found himself less than impressed with the third son of House Phenex.

His gaze then fell on the Lady of the opposite House, and he silently admitted that she was beyond beautiful. Her long silver hair was neatly braided down her back. Her posture was proper without giving any form of indication as to either her thoughts or feelings. Her large grey eyes were expressive, but also guarded. And finally her formal deep blue dress was both alluring and modest, while being utterly immaculate. If Naruto didn't know better, he'd almost think that there was a magical mannequin in front of him instead of a flesh and blood woman.

On the whole, Naruto was rather impressed with the Lord and his Lady, but less than pleased with Riser. Not that he was truly surprised, Demiurge and Albedo both suggested that this would be the case.

Lord Rexal, on the other side of things, found himself impressed with the professional and competent air of Naruto and his people. His eyes roved over the four women, one of whom he recognized as the late Gressen's Queen, Albedo. A known quantity, and a powerful wizardess in the arts of defense. The other three, though, they held his attention more as he didn't know them.

The first, a striking blonde-haired, aqua-eyed bombshell in an outfit that, while technically modest as it covered all the important bits, was nonetheless an arousing sight. If he hadn't been married for nearly six centuries to a woman of nearly peerless beauty, he knew there was every possibility of him popping a boner right on the spot. She carried herself with the air of a warrior, and practically hovered in a protective stance over the young man, despite giving the impression of boredom with her half-lidded eyes, as her hand never strayed far from a wide yet short weapon on her back.

Rexal would lay even odds on the woman being either the Asmodai's lover, his Queen, or both, and that the weapon was some kind of short sword from the wrapped hilt and the lack of visible blade. He didn't know it, but the weapon was a replica of the sword Tier used to use and was only recently finished being made.

His eyes panned next to the youngest person in the room, and the subject of his family's visit, Rias Gremory. She wasn't much of an unknown to him, he knew she had inherited her mother's Bael magic, she supposedly loved the human pastime of anime, and had been inducted into Naruto's peerage as his Bishop. She stood confident, however, as though she was certain that nothing happening today would cause her any form of grief.

He wondered briefly where that confidence came from. He didn't recall her having it the last time he saw her. And that odd outfit, wasn't that the Japanese Priestess look? What was that about?

Rexal's attention moved to the final woman, and found himself incredibly curious. She was a beauty, there was no doubt of that, but it was more than just the face or lithe body that would have most agreeing with him. She was exotic in a way that he never thought possible. To begin with, she had _blue skin_! He'd never heard of any species outside of the reclusive merfolk having blue skin before. This woman was definitely not Merfolk, the lack of gills on her neck gave that away without preamble. The two tentacle-like protrusions from her head, however, had him wondering if she wasn't some kind of strange half-breed, yet she didn't seem to possess the self-consciousness that most of those have. She obviously wasn't body-shy if the skin-tight hunting leathers she wore were any indication, and on either side of her hips dangled a silver cylinder attached to a belt.

Curious items, those cylinders. From the way she held herself, she was obviously well trained in close combat, and her muscle definition stated she was a weapon-user, but if those cylinders were her weapons, what were they? A kind of hidden, folding blade like some of the ancient Chinese used to make, perhaps? Hollow for the most part save for the springs necessary to push the blade out? How very curious.

Though perhaps the most curious to him was the fact that this woman stood at the young man's left hand, directly opposite of the blonde woman that Rexal was certain was the Queen of that Peerage. That was an odd place for any who wasn't the Queen to stand, as it implied an implicit trust in them. The "Left Hand" was an ancient position of authority, it pretty much meant the person standing there became the extension of the leader's will. While the RightHand dealt with internal matters, the Left Hand was often used to handle foreign matters, such as diplomacy.

Very interesting.

Finally the man's eyes came to rest on the new Lord of House Asmodai. The boy was young, younger than his own youngest son, Riser, maybe about the age of fifteen. Sunkissed golden locks of hair were in a natural state of disarray that Rexal doubted any comb in existence could hope to tame. Eyes of a rare silver-blue held an unflinching gaze. A strong jaw was softened slightly with the chubbiness of youth, and the face was set into a very well crafted blank expression, giving little away. It was the boy's posture, however, that piqued Rexal's interest. It was firm, the sign of a man who has fought in life or death battles and emerged victorious, yet there was an easy readiness that spoke of a level of competence rarely seen in one so young, and the grey pinstripe suit did little to hide the kind of muscles only achieved through hard training.

Rexal knew, if ever this young man and Riser came to blows, no one would know whom to bet on. The Phenex had the gift of resurrection and regeneration, but something about this young man, this Naruto Asmodai, told Rexal that he wouldn't wise to discount him. He had the sense that being underestimated was something this young man would easily capitalize on, no matter whom his opponent might be.

Naruto's mouth opened then, and Rexal heard the soft baritone that still warbled slightly with youth's pitch. "Lord Phenex, while I will agree that this meeting is long overdue, I would appreciate it if you would control your son. I do not take kindly to my people being eye-raped by a man who hasn't had his balls drop yet."

Rexal's mouth twitched slightly with amusement. He glanced at Riser, and immediately had to resist the urge to facepalm. His son was leering at the women behind the blonde boy with an expression that could only be described as lascivious. There was even a little bit of drool!

He was saved from responding by his wife, who made a gentle gesture with one hand. That gesture led to Riser being smacked upside the head by an invisible force.

"Our apologies," Aurora murmured. "His behaviour is that of an uncouth child. Pay him no mind."

Riser winced as he rubbed the back of his head. Damn that bastard brat! Why did he have all of those women, and Rias, if they weren't to be looked at? Were they not simply his personal harem?

"If he is to be paid no mind," Naruto said evenly, "then perhaps he should not be here for this talk. It would be … unfortunate, should anything detrimental slip from him that could shame your House further."

"Perhaps," Rexal allowed, giving his son a warning stare to remain quiet. "But I would prefer to keep him where I can see him. He has a habit of getting into trouble when I cannot."

"Then perhaps it is a good thing that his position within the contract with the Gremory has been voided." Naruto seemingly mused to himself, though his gaze never left Rexal. "If such an uncouth child got the prestige of such a well-liked House, I shudder to think of the damage he would cause."

"Now see here, you pathetic urchin!" Riser growled as he stood up to tower above Naruto, "The contract explicitly states that I am to be wed to Rias Gremory! You have no right to come along and steal her from me! I demand you give her back right now!"

Naruto didn't so much as flick his gaze away from Rexal's. "Be quiet, child. Know your place in this Underworld, and do not try the patience of your betters. I am speaking with Marquis Rexal Phenex. Do not think for a moment that you have any voice in these matters."

Rexal twitched in surprise. Few remembered the true rankings of the Pillars, fewer bothered to use them. He grimaced internally, and made a sidelong glance at his wife who returned it.

Unfortunately, Riser was now running his mouth and nearly frothing with rage. "Child?! My betters?! I am Riser Phenex! Third son of House Phenex! I am-"

"-Expendable," Naruto finished coldly, finally deigning to meet Riser's eyes with his own blank expression. "A third son has no use beyond marrying off to secure an alliance with a stronger family. The House of Phenex is that of a Marquis, while Gremory is a Duke. Even if you were to wed Rias, you would have no power, as you would be marrying _into the Gremory_! Rias would retain her position, becoming later the Duchess, while you would remain nothing more than her consort, Riser Phenex."

Naruto's gaze bored into Riser, "You would have no authority beyond what she allowed you within her own house, and by house I mean the building itself. No power would be granted to you, Riser. All you would become is a breeding stud to ensure the continuation of the Gremory line. Nothing more, nothing less. This is not an insult, it is mere fact."

Riser had a poleaxed expression as he settled back into his chair with a heavy thud. Rias had a similar expression. Neither had known any of this, having long since been raised on the human notions of modern day marriage where things were supposedly shared equally.

Rias grimaced. She didn't regret her impetuous decision though. What she had most strenuously objected to was marrying _Riser_. If not being forced into that meant she had to essentially abandon her House, then so be it. It was a hard thing to be sure, but it granted her the freedom to choose her life's partner for love rather than politics. And that was worth so much to Rias that she wasn't sure if there was anything she valued on the same level.

"The next thing I have to disabuse you of, Riser," Naruto continued blithely, "Is that the contract did not state individual names. It stated the heir of Gremory and a child of Phenex." He glanced at Lord and Lady Phenex and received nods of agreement. "Now, I have been informed that Lord Sirzechs Lucifer is expecting a son, a son he intends to give the name of Gremory in honor of his own birth parents, whom Lord Zeoticus Gremory and Lady Venelana have agreed to make their new heir until such a time as they conceive again. This means, with the advent of a male heir, that the only child of the Phenex that is suitable in the least is your younger sister, Ravel."

Naruto paused, and fixed a gimlet stare on Rexal and Aurora. "I expect that you two will be dutiful in preparing her properly for her new position? It is exceedingly obvious that Riser here was never truly suitable, and I can only assume a great amount of negligence was at the root. Intentional or not, it does not speak well of your House."

Rexal grimaced like he had just been presented with a rotten fish and nodded, he couldn't very well state that it was really the hired help's fault as he was the one who hired them to teach the boy in his place. All he could do now was to suck up his pride, and make certain that Ravel was prepared correctly. After all, if the young man knew of the Phenex's rank of Marquis, Rexal was positive that he also knew of the Asmodai's rank of King, and at that he was Phenex's King. No matter how rude the young man was being, Rexal could do little about it.

A slim blue hand came to rest lightly on Naruto's shoulder and Aayla's soft voice said soothingly, "Naruto-sama, that was rude. I have no doubt that Lord and Lady Phenex meant no slight toward you, or House Gremory, with their son's actions."

Naruto let out a slow breath, closing his eyes for a moment, "You are correct, Aayla."

Opening his eyes and inclining his head in a respectful bow, he said, "My apologies, Lord and Lady. I know it is no excuse, but I have had a stressful few months. Forgive my abruptness."

Rexal and Aurora relaxed noticeably and the lady smiled a little.

"Of course," Aurora said gently, neatly accepting the offered olive branch. "This must be a trying time for you. Suddenly finding out your heritage, and being thrust straight into the thick of things. It would be stressful enough with just one of those, but both must be taxing in this short period."

"Ahem, yes," Rexal interrupted smoothly, "And of course we will endeavor to educate Ravel properly for her sudden inclusion into the contract. This meeting was not so much an attempt to regain Rias as it was to make certain that the contract was still valid. It is no issue to us if Ravel is the one to uphold the honor of the Phenex in this matter."

"However," Lady Phenex interjected in a manner as smooth as her husband, "It is not impossible for us to also demand compensation in return for your intervention in this matter. While the contract is still valid, there was no real reason for you to become involved, Milord."

If they expected Naruto to be put off by their combined assault, they were sadly to be disappointed as the young man smiled.

"That is true, Lady," Naruto admitted with a tiny shrug. "However, I had no intention of not compensating either House for my interference in this matter. The Gremory declined my offer, instead gifting me with a portion of their territory in the human world for 'answering their daughter's desires'."

He paused for a moment to let that information sink in, that he had not interfered simply because he could, but that he had been requested. And not by an outside party either, but by one of the primary expected participants.

As he saw the light of realization dawn in the eyes, Naruto continued, "Now, I'm more than willing to grant you the same level of compensation as I offered them, which amounts to quite a tidy little sum. Of course, I'm also willing to hear your own ideas as well…"

He left his statement hanging, letting them read into it what they would.

Lord Phenex's eyes narrowed slightly in thought. Rexal was no fool, he knew that he could technically ask for something else, but he also knew that he was limited in options. He had no idea to what extent the young man had offered to Gremory. It might have just been money, it might have been old knowledge, or even artifacts. He just did not know. If he pushed for something else, something of greater value than money, he could look like a fool, but if he merely accepted what was being blatantly offered he could appear weak.

He caught his wife's eye and saw the same thoughts stirring in her mind. He nodded slightly at her, indicating that he was willing to let her lead at this crucial juncture. He'd married her for more than her looks after all.

Aurora took a deep breath and released it slowly, then said, "Lord Asmodai, I will admit we were hoping for something more than money. Perhaps an equivalent concession could be made?"

Naruto raised one brow. While not unexpected, he did not really want them to think of something else."What did you have in mind, Lady?"

She smiled, "It is difficult to say without knowing the exact monetary compensation you offered to the Gremory."

Naruto hummed in thought. "That is true," he mused.

Time seemed to stretch interminably as Naruto thought about giving them a number. Or that's what most of them thought, in reality he was carefully gauging Riser out of his peripheral vision, his gaze never actually leaving Lady Phenex. The fool was already back to a boil and it was only a matter of time…

"Will you stop wasting our time already?!" Riser shouted in exasperation. "It doesn't matter what those fools in the Gremory turned down! This is just another pathetic attempt on Rias's part to avoid her true destiny as my plaything!"

Riser snorted in disgust, completely ignoring his parent's scandalized expressions. "Look here, you ignorant peon," he sneered, his lips quirking into a smug smile, "You had no right to interfere, and you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. Rias is _mine_! Once I marry her all of her right to choose goes out the window, and I become her master! If I want to parade her naked through the streets, I will! If I want to use her as a high-priced whore, I will! And there is nothing you can do or say that can change that! In fact-!"

A heavy backhand to his face silenced Riser's speech, knocking him backward to the floor. When he looked up in rage to see who had dared to lay hand on him, he stared straight into the cold and controlled fury of his father. Riser paled instantly, there was no way in the Underworld he could stand up to his father in that moment.

"If I did not know without even a shadow of doubt of Aurora's faithfulness, I would not believe you were my child, for surely no son of mine could be so foolish!" Rexal hissed, his fury almost palpable. "You will remain silent, child, and not embarrass us further with your ignorance, for Lord Naruto is correct! And your foolish behaviour has now put us in an unfavorable light!"

As Rexal retook his seat, obviously attempting to restore his calm demeanor, Riser lay upon the floor unable to respond in the face of his father's anger.

Finally Rexal seemed to master himself, and he sketched a small bow to Naruto and then to Rias. "My apologies for his outburst, and my own. In light of my son's words, I believe we owe you thanks for disrupting his obviously distorted plans, and we owe young Rias more than a mere apology for not listening to her concerns."

"I will admit that this meeting is not going as I had thought it would. I had thought of merely confirming that the contract was still valid, and perhaps wrest a concession from you," the older man admitted candidly, passing one hand over his eyes in fatigue. "Instead I find out more about my son's character than I had known before, and I am at a loss as to explain just where it comes from."

"Who can say just what truly lies within the heart of a man?" Naruto asked in a sympathetic tone, then his voice hardened, "Yet in light of this latest outburst, perhaps I should withdraw the offer of compensation. After all, it appears as though I have inadvertently stopped a disaster from occurring."

"Also," Naruto continued in a slightly sly tone of voice, "I highly doubt that a man of your reputation had not already deduced the remaining validity of the contract, Lord Phenex."

Rexal sighed in defeat, and grinned wryly. "Yes, you would be correct about that. You cannot blame me for trying, though."

"Not at all," Naruto laughed goodnaturedly. "Now, if there is nothing else," Naruto nodded in the direction of the doors behind them, "Sebas will see you out. Have a good day, Marquis Phenex, Lady Phenex."

It did not escape the Phenex's notice that he deliberately ignored Riser's presence in that dismissal. Even as they exited, Riser's face practically glowing purple from suppressed rage, and then going pale again in remembrance of his father's own ager, the two older members of the Phenex were already in silent contemplation.

Once they were gone, Naruto leaned back into his chair, releasing a long pnet-up breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding. That had been a tense situation, but he'd wanted it done quickly before they could possibly weasel anything out of him. He knew of Rexal Phenex's reputation as something of a lawyer in the Underworld, if there was any capable of worming secrets from Naruto unwillingly, it would be him.

Some of those secrets could undo much of what Naruto had already accomplished. Yet it seemed that the Lord of Phenex was almost… pleased with the outcome. The mere fact that Naruto couldn't pin the man's reactions down told him that he only really managed to pull out a win today by disrupting everything through Riser. The hotheaded third son had been the lynchpin in Naruto's plans, despite his earlier commentary to get rid of him.

 _Come to think of it, Yugao and Konan just entered their third month… just six more to go, huh? I should probably spend more time with them than just the nights in bed..._

 **XxXxXxXx**

Marquis Rexal Phenex sat beside his wife in the back of their personal vehicle, their son riding in his own, running over the short meeting with the young Asmodai.

He frowned. It really had been short, only a few minutes to be certain. He had anticipated a much longer one, with a great deal of back and forth negotiations, or perhaps a one-sided political slaughter of an inexperienced child.

Well it was definitely one-sided, but not in Rexal's favor. He reviewed the meeting with a detached calm, trying to see exactly where it went against him. It had seemed to start so well…

His wife's voice brought him out of his contemplations, "He played us."

Rexal raised an eyebrow at her, a signal she knew well to mean that he was encouraging her to explain her thoughts. Her mind had been the first thing to attract him those centuries before, thus listening to her opinion was something he was fully prepared to do.

So she continued, "Young Asmodai, he played us from the beginning. It wasn't really anything subtle or special, though. Despite the politeness of his tone to start with, his insults were calculated, and I would bet our entire House that they were geared specifically towards Riser's pride. Riser was goaded from the start into giving Asmodai that first opening, and again later. He wanted Riser there so he could use our son to make things go in his favor. On top of that, he used both our own prejudice and his youth to great effect, which allowed him to get away with saying things he otherwise could not."

She paused for a moment to let her words be understood, then repeated her earlier statement. "He played us."

Rexal grimaced, "Yes, I see that. The problem lies in the fact that I didn't see it in the moment. I knew Riser's outburst would land us in a position where we would have to make some concessions, but everything snowballed from there."

He ran a hand through his hair, messing up his otherwise neat locks. "But perhaps the worst part is that the boy then managed to point out that the contract with Gremory was still valid through Ravel, which protects them from the destruction of their House."

"Dammit," he muttered viciously, "I completely underestimated the boy!"

"It protects us from that as well, Rexal," Aurora murmured gently. "Considering the drunken stupor both you and Zeoticus were in at the time, the contract could have been contested in any number of ways, and a breaking of it for any reason could have destroyed us just as easily."

Rexal pursed his lips and leaned back into his seat. "You have a point, my dear. That contract did state the the one who broke it would have their House destroyed. That could just as easily have been us."

She nodded, "Now, what are we to do about that loudmouth we call a son?"

Rexal groaned.

 **XxXxXxXx**

"He controlled the entire thing," Aayla muttered in awe as she and Tier made their way to a small training area for a bit of sword work. "Aside from that little bit with the goading of Riser, Master Naruto practically led them down the route he wanted them to take."

It had only been a few days since Aayla became a devil, but she had already settled into a small routine of practice and meditation, followed by several hours at a time in the library to read up on the history of this new world. It was helpful to her to learn as it calmed her nerves about being in not only a new world, but a completely different universe than where she was born and raised. Tier's assistance in her practice had been invaluable in that regard as well, along with Naruto's help in her studies.

Tier nodded, "He did. I have seen someone else do something similar, but with far greater malice behind their words. This was done smoothly, and with the explanations there can be no truly bitter feelings between the Houses."

The twi'lek woman grimaced slightly, "Perhaps not between the Houses, but I'd bet my sabers that Riser fellow will hold a grudge."

The blonde nodded, "Indeed. I feel the same. But only should he try anything, is when we can act."

Aayla grimaced, "Politics. No matter what world, there is always that damned red tape."

Tier glanced at the blue woman and nodded again. "On a different topic, you're progressing remarkably in the languages we use regularly."

A grin formed, "Yeah, I've always been pretty good at languages. Had to be, there were so many races in the Republic, and some of them couldn't use Basic."

Tier nodded, "Though it's also possible that the magic of the Evil Piece is hard at work. All devils are supposed to have an instinctual knowledge of the languages of the nearby human world."

Aayla shrugged unconcernedly. "Either way…"

They reached the training room, and each moved to opposite the other, grabbing practice weapons as they went. Aayla took her usual two, and Tier took one. Being the only sword users of Naruto's current peerage, they kept each other sharp, and Tier took the opportunity to increase her previous ability. She would readily acknowledge the twi'lek as her superior with the blade, but she was determined to at least bridge the gap so as to keep her silent promise.

For her part, Aayla wondered where the blonde woman had learned her sword work, It was rough, animalistic, and incredibly reliant on force, yet there was a measured step and an elegance that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was enticing to her, and she wondered how the woman kept such calm in the face of the raw passion that could be felt from the clashing weapons.

 _A measured, circling step…_ Aayla mused silently, as she and Tier took up their respective positions. _Feints, and passes, and she wears you down, drags the fight to her pace, then she goes for the throat viciously, as though her sword were her fangs..._

Tier's soft voice broke Aayla out of her thoughts, "So what do you think so far? I know it's only been a few days, but I expect you have an opinion."

Aayla's eyes unfocused for a minute as she thought about that. "I'm honestly not sure yet. Master Naruto treats me well, better than I expected really, and those two human women have been very welcoming. But I can't say I've really formed much of an opinion just yet."

With an understanding nod, Tier said, "I see-"

She was cut off by a raised hand, "But! While I may not have an opinion on this place, I am certain that Master Naruto is a man I can trust, and worthy of my service. That is enough for me right now. Time will tell me the rest."

Tier hummed softly, and then snapped her practice blade into a guard position. "Then for the sake of keeping Naruto-sama safe, shall we grow even stronger? To protect both him and his dreams? And to make sure he grows into a man we are beyond certain is worthy?"

With a smile and nod, the battle was joined. Both women strove against the other, in a dance as old as time itself. A dance that, if they had been any less skilled, would otherwise be one of death.

From the shadows of another door, a blast of frigid air escaped the watching Cocytus.

 _They are not yet strong enough to truly protect the young master, but they have the spirits of true warriors. … Perhaps I should teach them of how devils fight with weapons. Albedo is a fine teacher of magic, but her knowledge of a warrior's art is limited._

 **XxXxXxXx**

Rias stood panting next to her King, and wondered for the tenth time in as many minutes just how she had gotten into her current predicament.

 _Oh, right, I said I wanted to learn how to defend myself without magic…_ she thought with an internal grimace

Her teacher for this particular bit of practice? Well, she hadn't thought much of him before, but now she knew Sebas was officially an Underworld terror. The elderly-seeming devil had just spent the last hour pretty much knocking the stuffing out of both Rias and Naruto, and to the girl's dismay he didn't have so much as single hair out of place!

 _Screw the hair, he's not even breathing harder!_ She thought in despair, and her eyes panned to her partner in this exercise. _Naruto-sama doesn't seem to be trying hard either! It's not fair!_

"Rias-sama, you seem to be more tired than I would have thought," Sebas' deep voice broke into her thoughts, "Perhaps you should rest for a bit, while Naruto-sama and I pick up our pace a little?"

Rias just nodded tiredly and quickly took a seat on a bench along one wall. This was one of the training rooms dedicated to physical exercise, specifically it was designed for the practice of unarmed combat. The walls were reinforced greatly to withstand blunt force, and the ceiling was just high enough that she thought one of the old Balor(3) could have jumped easily and not brushed it.

She watched as the two men took up their favored stances, Sebas in a modified boxer's pose and Naruto in… what in the Nine Hells was that? Some kind of "Brawler meets Martial Artist meets Ninja"? Left-facing profile, left hand out in a vertical claw with the right held in a half-ram handsign over his heart, his feet set at basic shoulder-width but with an aggressive tilt. There was almost nothing of defense to it at all, and Rias was sure that if she could see it then so could Sebas.

Her eyes flickered over to the older man, and noticed a tiny frown marring his normally professionally serious countenance. It wasn't something most people would even notice, but Rias had discovered that her observational abilities were better than what most would expect of a ten year old. It was the kind of thing she chalked up to the oddity of her own Bishop piece.(4)

Then Rias blinked, and the battle started in earnest. She watched, spellbound, as Sebas balanced his attacks and defense, while Naruto just seemed to flow around the old man to strike from every conceivable angle. Suddenly Rias understood, Naruto didn't have anything of defense in his stance, because his defense was his smooth yet erratic movements. If you struck at him, he simply wouldn't be there when your strike finished. He moved as the wind would, flowing, everywhere, untouchable, relentless, untiring, unpredictable. He moved as his Nature dictated. He refused to be bound to anything not of his choice, be it his fighting stance or his own life.

Rias understood then, for the first time. Naruto was the Wind. He was so in tune with it that it reflected in everything he did. And combined with his natural imagination…

Rias winced as a thunderclap went off. Before her the two fighters stood, fists colliding in a stalemate. They held the pose for a moment longer, then disengaged.

Naruto flopped to the ground in a boneless heap, sweating profusely and breathing heavily. "Damn, Sebas. I haven't had a workout like that in a long time! How much were you holding back?"

Sebas, who simply smoothed his slightly ruffled hair, answered, "I could never harm my Master. So in order to make sure I did not, I held back to your level of physical strength."

Naruto grinned wryly, "That doesn't answer the question, Sebas. How much?"

"Sixty-seven percent, Naruto-sama."

Naruto blinked, then chuckled. "So I only got thirty-three percent, huh?"

"Do not mistake me, Young Master," Sebas stated, "Few newly-born devils could hope to make me use more than five percent. The fact that you have managed to get thirty-three is quite an achievement. Even most other Rooks I have met in battle have not forced me to one hundred."

Naruto waved him off, "Nah, I get it Sebas. I did good. And when I finally get myself a Rook or two, it will be your job to bring them up to snuff. I'll leave their training entirely in your hands. In the meantime, before I get up for round three, I think we'll make this a weekly session for us."

Sebas bowed, "As you wish, Naruto-sama."

Naruto let out one last heavy breath and stood, tugging his sweat-drenched white work-out Gi(5) into place. He swept his hands through his hair, and resumed his stance. He glanced at Rias and smiled.

Rias blanched. It looked her resting time was over.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto stared across his desk at Albedo. "You're kidding me."

The ravenette shook her head lightly. "I'm not."

"What do I need a Familiar for? I have Kurama."

"Yes, but be honest, Naruto-sama," she said with a small smile, "You and your peerage will still need to do other jobs and contracts to gather desires. Distributing the summoning fliers is usually the job of a Familiar, and if I am not mistaken, Kurama has refused. So you will need another."

He raised an eyebrow, "But I already receive human desires for power. Those books I released in the nearby human realm tied to this one, they gather it for me."

"That's you, Naruto-sama. What about your Queen? Or your Bishop and Knight? They will need to take jobs as well to increase their own powers." Albedo pointed out softly. "There are other considerations as well, of course, but they are medium to minor at best."

Naruto sighed and leaned back into his chair. "Hit me."

"Well, to start with, there is the Asmodai territory in the human realm," Albedo said. "There needs to be an actual Asmodai presence there soon, or we could lose it to another grasping devil."

He groaned quietly. "Dammit. Where in that world is it?"

Albedo moved over to a map of the human world hanging on one wall. There wasn't much else on the walls though, as most of the space was dedicated to large bookshelves. She used one finger to trace a rather large area near an even bigger body of water.

"Here, Naruto-sama. This country is called-" She trailed off with an amused expression, "-Italy. The island off the end is called Sicily."

He gave her a suspicious gaze. "You seem oddly amused at our territory being this Italy. Is there a reason?"

She nodded, "Devil-kind's most ardent human enemy is there. In a city called Rome is a small city-state called the Vatican. It's widely viewed as the center of the Christian religion, though it's really just the Catholics."

"Wait, you're telling me that our biggest human threat is inside my territory?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"Lovely," he groused, "I've already been there a few times to start getting those books out, and no one bothered to warn me first. Stupid set-destination transport circles, why couldn't anyone warn me?"

Then he blinked, "Wait. If I don't show my presence in that country, who would be ballsy enough to work in enemy territory? And wouldn't publishing those books count as showing myself?"

Albedo frowned slightly, "There are any number of Strays or Independents that might try it. It would almost certainly end with their deaths, seeing as the Vatican is rather zealous in their attempts to cull us devils further of course."

"As to publishing those books, that's really an incredibly minor act that just about anyone could pull off." She finished with a tiny shrug to show just how insignificant it was.

He nodded, digesting the facts for a bit. "Then how did we ever manage to work there?"

Albedo shrugged again. "I don't know. Gressen-sama never told us, and I never asked."

Naruto thought about it for a minute, then his hand came up to slap his forehead as he remembered just how cozy the Archangels had been at the funeral. "He had a deal with Michael. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"It is quite likely," Albedo agreed easily, "Gressen-sama held close ties to his former foes once the Great War was called into a ceasefire."

The blonde let out a groan and peeked through his fingers at her, his voice slightly muffled but carrying a small tinge of exasperation. "And the territory we got from Gremory?"

The woman picked up a pencil and circled a small area in an island nation. "We received the area in and around a fairly large town called Kuoh, in the country of Japan. It's not quite on the size of a city, but it isn't far from it either." She smiled slightly with amusement, "It is also a few hours drive away from a place that I'm sure will have young Rias bouncing with joy. A place called Akihabara, known world-wide as the 'Home of the Eternal Anime Convention'."

"Rias does love her anime," Naruto conceded with a grin, "even if she says they are becoming predictable."

He sat back and drummed the fingers of one hand on his desk in thought. "I wonder… who else has interests in this Japan?"

Albedo shrugged slightly, "I'm uncertain as to all the members, but if I remember correctly, aside from the obvious Gremory and Sitri interests, I believe Bael and Beelzebub have interests there as well."

"Is there a chance we could trade any of them territory for territory?" He asked.

She thought about it for a moment, her left hand resting lightly on her shapely hip. Naruto's gaze unconsciously tracked the gesture, and suddenly his pants felt a few sizes too small. Visions of all sorts of sexual fantasies ran through his head, some wholesome, some nowhere near. The worst part in his opinion was that those fantasies weren't centered on any one woman; Yugao, Albedo, Konan, Tier, and a few of them even included ideas of a more mature Rias.

It took a wrenching effort to pull his mind out of the gutter it had fallen into when she broke her silence to say, "Maybe."

 _Damned hormones!_ He thought to himself, _I knew it would be bad from what I found in those old medical books, but this is ridiculous! Every time I'm around one of them for longer than a few minutes I can't seem to stop thinking about it!_

Shaking his head slightly to banish the thoughts, he put it aside for later contemplation as Albedo asked a question of her own.

"Naruto-sama, why are you suddenly interested in acquiring this one country?"

The blonde gave her a wry look, "From what Rias has shown me, Japan is fairly similar to the Elemental Nations in terms of traditions and basic language. I suppose it makes me nostalgic and somewhat more comfortable."

"I see," she replied, though her tone said otherwise.

Naruto smiled at her, "Just see if any of the families with interests in Japan are willing to trade for equal pieces in Italy. Failing that, perhaps see if we can outright buy those interests."

Albedo bowed, "As you wish. Now, about that new Familiar…"

The young devil sighed and slumped back into his chair, "Dammit. I should have known you wouldn't be put off so easily."

"Never, my Master." She said with a twinkle in her eye.

 **XxXxXxXx**

"So, why are we walking through this incredibly creepy forest?" Aayla asked as she, Tier, Naruto, and Rias moved beneath a sea of dark trees.

Naruto sighed and set himself to answering, "Because apparently this is the only place to find a typical Familiar, and tonight is the one time this month that a guy called the Familiar Master can be found to help us out."

"And what good is this Familiar thing?" Aayla asked, her interest piquing a little. She honestly hadn't been paying much attention before they'd left the mansion. She'd simply heard that Naruto was going and had decided to follow him to offer the protection afforded by her lightsaber and Force abilities.

But rather than Naruto, Rias was the one to pipe up with an answer, stars in her eyes. "Familiars can do all kinds of things. Hand out contract fliers, be a companion for either battle or daily life, some of them are even magical in nature!"

Tier raised an eyebrow. "You mean like possessing the ability to cast magic?"

"Well that, or they may simply be a kind of reserve tank," Rias explained, "like an extra power source if you need it. They could also be magical in the way that they have a natural effect, like Slimes and their ability to eat clothing, or dragons and their breath attacks..."

Naruto held up a hand, "I think we get it, Rias-chan." He said gently, "I also believe we are not alone anymore."

"Hahahaha," came a loud obnoxious voice. "So the young man can sense me even when I'm hiding? That's good!"

Naruto looked up and immediately wished he hadn't. The man looked like a kid that found his way into the forest and, like Peter Pan, never bothered to grow up despite growing older. It was the only description that made sense. Easily viewed skinny legs that bowed noticeably, short socks and boots, cargo style shorts, and a blue and white wife-beater to cover his chest, topped off with a death's-head grin, a mane of wildly uncontrolled brown-ish hair- Naruto wasn't quite certain if it was brown or if the man just never washed out the mud - and a pair of fingerless gloves on his hands. As if that weren't enough, the man stood on a branch above them, and none of the women were quite sure if he was leering at _them_ or just in general.

The young blonde heard Aayla's disbelieving words, "You have got to be kidding me."

"Hahahaha! I am the Familiar Master! I can help anyone catch and tame any familiar!" The man boasted loudly, scaring several birds from nearby trees into flight.

Naruto just gave the man a deadpan stare. "If it wasn't for the fact that the only Familiar Binding spell I know is a full ritual, I wouldn't even consider bothering with you," the blonde boy said with a flat tone.

Naruto sighed and dipped his head in defeat. "However, Albedo hasn't steered me wrong yet, so I guess I'll put up with this, though I just know she's laughing at me right now."

FM- Familiar Master -dropped from the branch to land in a surprisingly spritely manner. "O-to! Alright! Now, what kind of Familiars are you four wanting? Remember to think carefully, as you will have them until you die."

Naruto let loose another heavy sigh and raised a defeated expression, "I guess I need one that is helpful in dealing with paperwork and running errands. Something with enough intelligence that I don't need to worry about it getting my orders wrong. But not something that will attract undue attention."

FM rubbed his chin in thought, a serious look on his face. "Hm-hm! Young man you have just given me a challenge! Most young devils just want something cool, or dangerous, or even scary. But you… you seem to understand that the Familiar is an extension of yourself. A complement to your own abilities."

Thinking for a few more moments, FM said, "Okay! I'll think about your request a little more. There are a few possibilities, but we'll narrow those down a bit more. What about you ladies?"

Tier shrugged, "Going on the idea of complementary abilities, I think I should look for one with a high affinity for water and healing to balance my destruction."

FM's eyes lit up, "Oh! You'll be looking for an Undine then! Water spirits they are, and they specialize in healing spells. There's even a small lake nearby with a colony."

The blonde woman nodded and stepped to one side to better keep the strange man in her view. She didn't think he was going to do anything against Naruto, but she wanted to be safe just in case.

Aayla spoke next with an uncaring air to match Tier's, "I suppose I would want something that could assist me in my duty to protect Master Naruto. A strong and loyal partner that understands and compliments my fighting ability."

FM nodded slowly, once again rubbing his chin in thought. "Hm… Not many fall into that pattern," he muttered to himself, "Though I'm sure we can find something…"

A loud piercing cry echoed as a figure flew above them at tremendous speed.

FM snapped his fingers as he recognized the creature, "Yes! That's it! A gryphon! Proud, noble beasts with an uncanny intelligence, and known far and wide for their loyalty! Some say they were made by a wizard in another world as one his works of art, but no one really knows."

"Of course getting one to agree is nearly unheard of-" FM continued in a wise-sounding tone with his arms crossed and eyes closed.

"Uh, I hate to interrupt…" Aayla said nervously.

"Hm?"

FM's eyes widened comically as he saw an adolescent black gryphon nuzzling gently into Aayla's shoulder, it's feathers glinting a deep purple in the light of the moon. The gryphon made soft trilling noises, it's eyes closed in what the onlookers could only suspect was joy. Aayla, smiling nervously, was patting it's crest feathers gently, despite the fact that the creature's shoulder easily came up to her own.

"Wha-?"

Aayla turned her nervous smile on the man, "Looks like it chose me."

FM just stared dumbly, before silently handing the twi'lek a piece of paper with the Familiar Binding spell on it.

 _I suddenly get the feeling that this is going to be a loooong day,_ FM thought to himself.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Several hours later, Naruto and his group returned to the Asmodai mansion. Albedo and Sebas stood waiting for them, and made a quick headcount to make certain nothing had gone wrong.

 _One, two, three, four, five, six…. Wait, six?_ Albedo double-checked, and indeed, six human-shaped figures were approaching, along with one large winged quadruped, and a… bat? Peering a little harder, Albedo determined that yes, that was a small devil-bat fluttering along at the shoulder of young Rias.

 _Alright, let's see here,_ Albedo mused to herself as she took in the new arrivals. _Basic body of a giant cat, wings, aristocratic neck and head of a hawk, taloned foreclaws, overall appearance of a work of art… Aayla Secura managed to get a gryphon..._

Forcing herself not to faint in shock, the raven haired woman panned her eyes to next pair. _Lithe body, skimpy outfit in a chiton fashion, definitively female and made of water.. So Tier Harribel managed to acquire an Undine, and the rare one that actually looks like the legends. Not bad at all._

 _Then there is Rias with her little devil-bat. Not overly impressive, but she is just a child, and those little things have some rather handy tricks, so it's fine._

 _And Naruto-sama…_

Albedo felt her mind shut down.

Walking beside Naruto in deep conversation with him was a tall woman, her long pale blue hair hung in a wavy and sensuous waterfall down past her ass. Her body was nothing shy of spectacular, even under the female variation the suit that Naruto wore; light grey jacket and slacks, white button shirt, and black strap heels. Her golden eyes radiated an intense chilling atmosphere, even as she smiled gently in her soft conversation with Naruto.

"Naruto-sama?" Albedo said, her voice cracking slightly as a rare primal fear shivered up her spine.

"Hm?" Naruto brought himself out of his talk with the blue-haired woman, "Yes, Albedo? What is it?"

"Who might that be with you?" The tremors in her voice went unnoticed by the young man, but not by the clearly smirking woman with him.

"Oh!" Naruto smacked his fist into his palm, "Right! I should introduce you. Albedo, this is my new friend and business partner, Tiamat, the one and only Dragon Queen. Tiamat, these are Albedo and Sebas."

"A pleasure," Tiamat demurred, her smirk not dropping by the slightest degree. She knew what kind of effect she was having on the raven-haired Albedo, and she was enjoying it immensely. She hadn't had this much fun in centuries!

"Oh. Yes. A pleasure indeed," Albedo said in light voice just before she fainted.

 **XxXxXxXx- Ending Notes**

1- Rexal Phenex: I did a second look before I decided to use this name again, and I will use it for him until the author decides on one themselves.

2- Aurora Phenex: Same as Rexal, I did a double-check to be sure she hadn't been named yet. So until the author gives her one, she's Aurora.

3- Balor: a high-ranking demon out of the Abyss. I typically run across them in D&D, but I am uncertain at this time as to just where the inspiration for them came from, though I'd lay odds on the Irish myth of King Balor. Nonetheless, they are huge, usually standing at an average of 12 feet in height, and are pretty much at the top of the Abyssal food chain as Generals or minor princelings… not counting creatures like Lolth.

4- The Bishop pieces of Naruto's set, for those who have forgotten, are in the shape of wizards. Wizards are supposed to be wise and learned, so they have absorbed a small amount of Naruto's shinobi mental training and will impart it to the host. Only a small bit, of course, but it's enough to make a significant difference in a child like Rias.

5- Gi: this is often the term used for the traditional martial arts outfit, like what you'd see in a karate dojo.

 **Alright, Familiars! So Naruto technically doesn't need one, what with Kurama and all, but hey, why not? Like I said in this chapter, the Familiar is more than a pet or a servant, it is a part of you, and is meant to compliment you. We'll see just how well Tiamat compliments Naruto as a partner first, eh?**

 **Naruto - Kurama (Bijuu/Kitsune)**

 **Tier - Undine**

 **Aayla - Gryphon**

 **Rias - Devil-bat**

 **Assistance with the chapter once again comes from SkySage24.**

~Dreaming of the Phoenix


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 01.

 **Chapter 07: Adjustments Pt3, An Attempt?, an Opportunity, and the Last of a Dying World**

"So why the double-bladed sword, Naruto-sama?" Cocytus asked with an expulsion of frigid air.

Naruto, in the middle of a weapon kata, paused briefly. In his hands rested something that might have been mistaken for a bo-staff at first glance, at least until one's mind recognized that it was actually two straight sword blades on either end of a hilt. Each blade reached a little better than two and half feet in length while the hilt itself was easily another foot itself. The blades each had a slight bevel along the middle and were completely utilitarian, no actual decoration as was often preferred by the youths of today. Even the hilt was simply wrapped in black leather to assist with giving grip.

"Well, I could have gone with just about anything, really." Naruto shrugged as he thought about the question, "I mean, Tier-chan's got that wide-bladed shortsword, and Aayla's got those two plasma blades of hers, not to mention you are obviously well-acquainted with multiple weapon styles if the way you're holding four different weapons at once is any indication, but in the end? I think it's really just because it was the first thing to catch my eye in the scrolls on kenjutsu that I inherited from my mother that would work with what little prior training I had."

"What of your mother's own style?" The being of cold asked in interest. He was highly curious as to just what those weapon scrolls held. So were the others, Demiurge the most, but none of them wanted to intrude on what was obviously a rather sensitive subject.

"I'm not entirely certain what it was," Naruto admitted somberly. "Kurama doesn't want to talk about it, and the only thing in her records is a note about her use of what was called Adamantine Chains, and a small mention of her carrying two swords at certain ceremonies. I don't know if she ever used those swords in actual combat, or if they were just decoration. Hell, I haven't even _found_ them yet to verify their existence!"

He paused in his ranting, "Assuming of course that they're in those scrolls somewhere." He admitted sheepishly.

A blast of cold air, what Naruto was coming to believe indicated the insect-like Cocytus was simply releasing some kind of pent-up power safely, preceded the next question. "Why should they not be? They would be part of your inheritance, would they not?"

Naruto frowned, "There are a number of possible reasons, foremost among those is that the swords were either stolen or lost prior to the creation of the scrolls."

"I see."

"Yeah, while it would be awesome to know for sure what Mom used, one of her first pieces of advice to me in the letter that came with everything else was that I should follow my instincts, that they would never steer me wrong." He shrugged, "Can't say she's wrong either. A number of times in my childhood I trusted my instincts in regards to some of the people, and I later found that they were trying to get me alone to hurt me. Not sure if they were trying to kill me or something else, but I never regretted listening to my gut."

Cocytus nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Indeed, a warrior's instinct and intuition are important. I have studied many cultures, and I have found that many of the most powerful fighters have listened to their instincts in battle, allowing them to overcome many obstacles that they otherwise would not have. Japan's legendary warrior Miyamoto Musashi is one such example, even if his greatest opponent was merely fictitious."(1)

"But what of your human sire?" The Knight of Gressen asked, curiosity clear in his flanged voice.

Naruto shrugged again, "All I really know about him is that he was rather wasteful with his weapon of choice; a unique three-bladed kunai that bore the mark for one of favorite jutsu upon the handle. He would throw them around, then use the markings to 'flash' to them and attack whatever enemy was in his range with a rasengan."

"Why do you say that was wasteful?"

The young man frowned, "Because he never bothered to pick the kunai up again when he was done. Every house in Iwagakure- an old enemy of Konoha - had at least five of those things hanging on the living room wall. And don't even get me started on some of the other villages where those knives were sometimes considered to be like collectibles."

"Why did he not retrieve them? Why give a weapon- his signature one at that - into the hands of his enemies?"

Naruto ran a hand through his sweat soaked hair. "Probably because to them those kunai were just bigger and sharper knives. The markings on the handle only worked for him, they were keyed to his chakra, which made them useless to others as the damned seals wouldn't even open up to be read without him."

Cocytus cocked his head to one side. "How could keying these markings to his chakra have done anything. From what I know, there is no difference between one person's chakra and another's."

The blonde groaned and shook his head. "I'm not the best to ask about the theories behind chakra, but that's not entirely true. At least not for my world. Because our chakra is made of both our physical energy and our spiritual energy, our Yang and Yin, it creates a kind of imprint that solely belongs to each individual. So locking something to a single person through their chakra was safer than a great many other options."

Cocytus nodded as he absorbed that information. It was interesting, but his race was unable to wield chakra in the slightest, so it was purely academic for him. However, he knew that knowledge was power, and to know about a potential enemy was never a waste of his time.

The giant armored insect then crossed two of his arms, "That is all well and good, but enough of this. Begin your forms again."

Naruto sighed and retook his stance, slowly moving through the half-remembered forms. It was a slightly modified one from when he had learned the basic use of the bo-staff from the Sarutobi clan, at the Sandaime's insistence. The instructor had refused to teach Naruto the advanced forms, saying that he only really knew the Sarutobi style, and it wouldn't be right to teach an outsider those forms. Naruto had agreed with the man, he had only agreed to learn something of the staff to pacify the Sandaime's paranoia of his safety. Even if the old man had lied to Naruto for so long, the blonde would readily admit that he had looked out for him in his own way.

Then he suddenly wasn't alone. Beside him on his right Yugao seemingly appeared out of nowhere, wielding her own bo-staff in the same Sarutobi Basic Form. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto took note of how her stomach was only just barely showing the signs of her pregnancy, and it certainly wasn't slowing her down in her practice. Not that he was surprised, as one of Konoha's top ninja she no doubt studied a great deal more than he had on subjects that he hadn't even considered yet.

Together they moved through the kata, the half-memories surfacing into a solid whole as he worked alongside the purple haired mother-to-be. A smile formed on Naruto's lips as he felt a level of camaraderie build between them, reminding him of the times he trained under the Sarutobi, and of his training under both Kakashi and Jiraiya. Lackluster though those last two might have been as teachers, he still learned a fair amount from them. And he found comfort in the good memories that surfaced in response to the silent air of camaraderie.

Time slipped away from Naruto as he moved in full synchronicity with his purple haired companion. It was a moment that he wouldn't give up for the world, a reminder of the good times in his life, and a silent reminder of her promise to him for the future.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto sat in his office on a couch, across from him on a another couch facing him across a small table was Tiamat. Beside him on either side were Konan on his left and Aayla to his right, while behind him stood Tier. He didn't necessarily need any of them with him for the coming discussion, but he felt a little less vulnerable with them there.

The blue-haired dragon in human form took a sip of tea from the ever-present cup in front of her. It was one of the niceties Naruto had learned from his younger years when watching the Sandaime talk to others, there was always a cup of tea ready to drink from. She had changed her outfit slightly, opting for a short business skirt that showed off her long legs and high-heeled sandals.

"Shall we start then, Naruto?" Tiamat asked as she set the cup back down. "I know I already agreed to be your partner, or at least to hear you out, but the specifics of just what you would like me to do are still a bit vague. I'd like to clear those up before we go any further."

Naruto nodded agreeably. "Yes, I suppose so."

He paused for a moment, then rubbed the back of his head, "I'll admit I have no idea how to start this. Why don't you just ask me what you want to know, and I'll do my best to answer? Pick something."

The dragon sighed quietly. _Well, don't I just know how to pick them? Though, at least he's honest about what he doesn't know. Not many, devil or not, would do that in his position._

"Very well," she agreed. "I suppose first is why you would want a business partner as opposed to a Familiar. You touched on it briefly in the forest, something about not feeling the need for one…?"

He nodded, "yes." He paused to gather his thoughts, and spoke slowly so he could be certain that he wasn't misstepping himself. "I don't mean to be rude, of course, but I have a Familiar in Kurama over there," he waved one hand to indicate the pony-sized fox sleeping near the door, "And honestly, he and I are still trying to find enough common ground to work with each other. I don't really want to bring in another side to that relationship until it's a fair bit firmer. He has a natural - and entirely justified - distrust of a great many beings, and I'm only just starting to earn some of his trust."

Tiamat hummed in thought, casting her eyes to the ceiling. "Hm, that's a good reason for not wanting another Familiar. But why the business partner?"

Naruto looked distinctly awkward, "Well, it just seemed like an answer to one of my problems, and it would have been rude to just tell you no when you took the effort of finding me."

… _*Wince* it's not like I can tell him that I didn't really seek him out, but rather came across him while out of my lair to relieve my boredom. Seriously, no one ever comes to find me! It's so boring and lonely with no one to even talk to every so often! … Wait, problems?_

The dragon just raised an eyebrow as she sweatdropped internally and cast her gaze to Tier, who answered the unspoken question. "Naruto-sama has recently learned of an issue regarding his primary territory in the human world. It seems he must have some kind of presence there, or problems could begin to arise."

Tiamat nodded with a small smirk forming. Taking a sip of her tea, she said, "So you would want me to act as your proxy, then? A visible symbol and easily recognized entity that acts in your name?"

The blonde young man shrugged, "More or less. As my partner you would have my full authority over my territory, and I'm quite certain that your pride as both a dragon and a queen will not allow you to just sit back and let it all fall into ruin." He smiled slyly, "after all, if it was ever found out that the great Tiamat, Queen of Dragons, was some kind of pushover, your reputation would be shot."

Aayla looked worried as Tiamat snorted in amusement. "So now you attempt to manipulate me through my pride?"

"Of course not," Naruto's smile never left his face. "I'm just pointing out a possible repercussion should you not perform your agreed upon task to the fullest of your ability. Not that I believe you would do such a thing, I have the utmost confidence in your capability."

Tiamat burst out laughing, a full belly laugh straight from the gut. It took her several minutes to master herself down to a chuckle.

Wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, Tiamat said, "Oh! You have some real balls to try and use my pride against me like that!"

Raising her eyes to his, he saw a twinkle of mischievous humor, "But I can't say I dislike it. Your daring, that is." She crossed her legs in a dramatic and eye-catching fashion, "Alright, for the sake of argument let us say that I agree. What sort of business would I be overseeing on your behalf, Oh Maybe-Partner?"

"I recently thought of buying out a certain publisher so I wouldn't have to deal with his questions regarding my request to include a certain pre-contract to be signed per copy of a particular book," Naruto said with a smile. "From there I was willing to let you chose further business conquests as you please, though I would recommend continuing in the same field for a time before trying another avenue."

"Hmm," Tiamat narrowed her eyes. "It's a good deal, all things considered. However, before I actually sign anything I want one thing set perfectly clear: in the matter of partners, and as my potential Master, I refuse to be left in the dark; on anything. You and I will closet ourselves away from others for at least a day to bare our secrets to each other. Yours to me, and mine to you."

She smirked, "You can consider this _my_ pre-contract. If you agree to share your secrets with me, I will not accept another as my Master until you have claimed me properly."

It was Naruto's turn to narrow his eyes, "Bare my secrets, huh? I suppose you have an example of just what kind of secret you want from me?"

Tiamat's gaze flickered over to Konan for only a brief moment, but it was clearly caught by Naruto and the others. Tier and Aayla wondered what she wanted with knowledge on the half-human, but Naruto saw it clearer; the dragon had looked at Konan's slightly distended belly. It seemed that the dragon had suspicions about the child(ren) growing within Konan.

Naruto crossed his arms and leaned back into the couch, his gaze not leaving Tiamat. This was not something he had anticipated…

His eyes closed and an easy smile crossed his face. "Alright."

… But he didn't mind it either.

Tiamat felt her jaw drop and Naruto chuckled. "What? It's not like I wasn't going to tell everyone, or at least," he said with one hand scratching behind his head, "everyone that needs to know. Which basically amounts to my peerage, and you as my partner."

He shrugged, "yeah, I've got secrets, who doesn't? Though I'll tell you now, Tiamat," Naruto said with a suddenly dead cold expression, "If what I tell you brings harm to my people from you, whether you talked and it attracted vultures or you yourself attack, I will take you down. Am _I_ clear? Tiamat?"

The dragon queen met his gaze and felt a shiver of dread run along her spine. She knew she was the stronger of the two of them, even if he brought his current peerage into the battle she knew she had enough strength to blow through them with ease. Then why? Why did she feel like he could do it alone? Why was she suddenly certain that if she somehow brought harm to those he protected, that he would indeed take her down? Even if it meant dying in the process…

Tiamat gave no outward sign of her discomfort, but her respect for this young man rose drastically. He must know that he didn't honestly have the ability to stand up to her, not yet at least, but he would do his damnedest for those he cared about, eh? Yes, she'd give him hefty points for that.

More than enough points to overlook his threat.

The head of light blue hair nodded firmly, "That's certainly fair enough."

Naruto's gaze dropped back into its usual affable state. "Alright then, I suppose the best place to start a story is at its beginning. I was originally born as Uzumaki Naruto, the fully human son of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina…"

Tiamat could already feel herself blinking. _Fully human? Wha~?_

 **XxXxXxXx**

"Naruto-sama, I don't mean to disturb you, but there appears to be someone causing a ruckus in the nearby town." Sebas interrupted from the other side of the door with a knock.

"-I see," Naruto said, "I suppose we will have to continue this at another time, Tiamat. As much as I would like to say that someone else can deal with this, I think it may be best for me to do so personally."

He grinned, "After all, can't have people thinking that all I do is sit up here and enjoy myself in the lap of luxury. Excuse me for a bit, Tiamat, This shouldn't take too long."

Konan sighed and shook her head as she watched Naruto stand and leave the room with Tier and Aayla following closely on his heels. She turned her attention back to Tiamat who bore an amused expression as she nodded in acceptance, even though the kunoichi could see a fair bit of surprise hidden in the depths of the dragon's eyes from what had already been spoken of.

Clearing her throat, Konan said, "If you would like I could continue to explain a bit about our original world…?"

"I'd like that." The dragon said as she refilled their tea cups.

 **XxXxXxXx**

A man stood on the podium of an outdoor stage, speaking loudly and with a passion most of the younger people hadn't heard before. The man stood at a respectable 5'9", with a sharply defined jaw, dark blue eyes and sandy blonde hair. He was dressed in a relatively simple hooded white robe.

"Have you heard, my fellow Citizens, that our new lord is naught but a half-human child?" The man was saying, "And not just any child, but one raised solely by humans! Fostered and fed on their ideas of how the universe works! Raised to their beliefs, their ways of thinking. Now, this half-human child intends to rule over us?"

Dark mutterings were heard among the gathered populace. It was true they had heard that their new lord was young, but many had not known he was raised by humans. While not necessarily a bad thing, the humans of the nearby world did not have the greatest reputation among devils.

"What could one raised by the sheep of humankind know about governing and leading devils?" The man asked, his voice easily carrying to the far reaches of the crowd. "What could a child not raised here know about our people's needs? How can we be expected to blindly follow one who does not know his people?!"

"But he has Lady Albedo and the others who served Lord Gressen! Surely they'll teach him?" One young girl in the crowd asked uncertainly. The peerage of the former Lord Gressen was held in awe by many of the people.

"Certainly he has them," the man acknowledged, "And I'm certain they will endeavor to teach him, but what are we supposed to do in the meantime? Are we supposed to just wait while he learns his responsibilities? Are we supposed to simply accept the way things are? Can we do nothing but wait and watch as things deteriorate while he learns and questions things as a _human_ would?"

"But he _is_ our lord! He is Lord Gressen's son! Surely his father passed on some of his wisdom before dying?!" An elderly voice called out.

"But is he _really_ Lord Gressen's son?" The robed man asked boldly, getting gasps of shock from many in the crowd. "I have heard many rumors about our new lord, the most disturbing being that he is _not_ Lord Gressen's child, but rather a random half-breed that Lord Gressen found on the streets! That he is nothing more than a false claimant to Lord Gressen's grand estate!"

"Lies and slander!" The same elderly voice called, and the crowd parted to reveal an old man leaning heavily on a cane and sporting a glare fit to make the Yondai Maou sweat. "Lord Gressen himself claimed that young man as his son! From that point on it hardly matters what the child's origins are, he is Lord Gressen's boy! No matter what you or anyone else says, our lord is now Naruto Asmodai!"

"Yeah!" and "That's right!" and other forms of agreement echoed from a large number of the crowd as they started to look angry. Who was this fool to try and slander the new lord?

"Well, color me surprised." A new, and obviously amused voice spoke up. The crowd turned to see a young blonde man flanked by a busty blonde woman and a blue skinned woman, and accompanied by two well-known maids of the Asmodai mansion, the Malachite sisters.

"I was wondering what the ruckus Sebas mentioned was about, but I'll admit I didn't see this coming." The blonde teen said lightly, "and Elder, I thank you for those stirring words. I am truly honored by them."

"Lord Asmodai!"

One by one, the crowd dropped to their knees, heads bowed. Naruto swiftly moved to stop them, "Hey now! There's no need for that!"

He went to an older woman and helped her to her feet with a smile and a jovial tone, "Come now, mother, there's no need for you to get yourself dirty on my account."

She allowed him to lead her to her feet, but kept her face turned to the ground respectfully. Others in the crowd raised their own heads as Naruto reached forward and tilted her head up gently so their eyes met. He saw a brief flicker of surprise mingled with respect, followed swiftly by a glow of affection in her lined face.

"That's better! After all, you've worked hard your whole life, haven't you?"

"Yes, Lord," she murmured.

"Harder than me, I'll bet. Any children?"

"Six, my lord."

"Six! My lord!" He said, subtly changing the inflections of his words to awed respect. Chuckles of laughter ran through the crowd. "Yes, I'd say you've definitely worked harder than me!"

"And fourteen grandchildren, my lord," the woman said, emboldened by his easy and familiar manner. He smacked a hand to his forehead.

"Fourteen! And I guess they're all spoiled rotten, eh?"

"Not a chance, Lord Asmodai!" She responded indignantly, "If they slack off or get up to trouble I give 'em the tanning of a lifetime on their bums!"

Her hands flew to her mouth as she realized in horror that she'd just said _bums_ in front of her new lord. But Naruto just grinned at her.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, mother. We've all got one after all. A bum, that is."

The chuckles came back a bit louder. Naruto turned to rest of the crowd, who had remained on their knees, and made upward gestures with his hands. "Please, please! All of you, no need for the bowing and whatnot! Please, stand."

His eyes slid to lock on the robed man who was slowly edging away, "Though I will admit I'd like to hear more of your views, my friend. Melanie, Militia, please make sure he doesn't leave us just yet."

The crowd rose to their feet and grouped around Naruto, awed and appreciative of his easygoing and informal manner. They'd never really had much personal contact with Gressen or his peerage, so they were surprised that they could feel this young man's sincerity. As a rather tight-nit community, the people of the town were difficult to trick, and they'd felt some malice in the robed man's statements despite his seeming sincere worry. But they felt nothing like that from this young blonde teen, only an honest desire to become part of their lives.

Melanie and her twin took up unobtrusive positions on either side of the robed man, making certain to block any possible escape routes. After studying Naruto for those months, they knew he was like this, hard on his enemies and easy with his friends. They were hardly surprised then, that he was so friendly with the townsfolk.

Naruto was, simply put, a people person. He had a number of bad habits, not the least of which was tweaking someone's vanity or inflated sense of self-worth, but at the end of the day he loved people and they responded in kind. This fact alone had raised him heavily in their favor when they were choosing a candidate to become Gressen's heir, and the sisters were glad that he was proving them right.

After several minutes of warm hearted conversation, Naruto turned his attention, and a distinctly amused expression, to the robed man. "Now then my friend, why don't we hear a bit more from you? Your concerns seemed to be agreeable to everyone else, so perhaps I can use this chance to lay some fears to rest."

The man sniffed disdainfully, "As if a half-breed could ever understand us true devils. You aren't even Lord Gressen's offspring!"

Naruto's amusement remained firmly on his face. "A half-breed I may be, but Gressen was most certainly my father. That was proven rather easily by the current Astaroth family head, who is, as I'm sure you all know, the foremost doctor in the Underworld, and was the man who led the team that verified my connection to Father." The blonde young man shook his head, "Honestly, if you can't trust the word of Lord Astaroth, then whose _can_ you trust?"

"And obviously he was paid off to give those false findings!" Robe snapped back.

The old devil from before chuckled, "Youngster, you really don't know anything about Lord Astaroth to suggest that he would ever think of accepting a bribe. That man is well-known to have only one weakness, and that's his daughters."

That was an understatement, and a misleading one in Naruto's mind. Karumn Astaroth(2) was a bear of a man, built something like a brick shithouse that didn't really look much his cousin Ajuka save for the green hair they shared, yet with a delicate touch for the most sensitive of surgery that might be needed… And he was utterly devoted to keeping his- Naruto shuddered - _eight_ daughters happy, to the point that he actually _personally_ built a freaking _fairy-style lavender-colored_ _castle_ to help cure his middle daughter's case of depression in the wake of the civil war due to the loss of many of her friends.

The blonde young man felt sorry for whoever asked the man for his permission to date or marry one of those ladies.

His son, Diodora, on the other hand… well, Naruto had it on good faith that Lord Astaroth would probably kiss an incubus if someone could get his son to join proper society.

"I've only had to be around him once, and I can tell you that I'd rather deal with an invading army!" Naruto shuddered heavily, earning another round of chuckles from the crowd.

Seeing that line of attack shut down, Robe switched tactics. "Still, what would a half-breed raised by humans know about the troubles of devils? Before a few months ago I doubt you'd ever set foot in the Underworld!"

"Well, you aren't wrong about that last bit," Naruto admitted freely, his easy grin back, "But I'm fairly certain that the fact that the people who raised me were primarily farmers and merchants isn't very well known. And let me tell you," he joked, "that the problems of farmers and merchants and townsfolk the universe over are pretty much always the same: make enough money or food to survive the winter, and maybe put some extra aside for a surprise lean season."

Naruto shrugged as another round of laughter rippled through the crowd, "Believe me, you'd be surprised at just how similar the problems of humans and devils really are when you strip away all the Faction nonsense."

"And you will, of course, sit high and mighty in your mansion, in the very lap of luxury, while the common folk work so hard each day!" Robe spouted bitterly.

The young blonde shrugged again, "Well, I suppose so, if you want to look at it that way. But I see it slightly differently."

"Yeah, and how is that?!"

"It's really quite simple," Naruto said with a solemn sincerity that had everyone's full attention. "As the lord I enjoy many privileges that others do not, because when the time comes I must shoulder the weight of responsibility and make decisions that will affect us all. Those privileges I receive mean that I have that much heavier of a duty placed upon my shoulders, one of which is leading on the battlefield."

"I'm sure some of you remember the last war," Naruto raised his voice and swept his eyes over the crowd, getting many nods. "And I would assume that those who remember were under my father's command. Whenever one of his people didn't come back, I have it on good authority that he personally grieved for each of them."

"And how would you know that?" Robe sneered.

"By the very list of names he has written in sixty-one volumes found in his private bookshelves, each labelled 'The Fallen of my Command'. I have actually checked a number of them, each one is the name of a deceased devil."

"Keh!" A new voice scoffed. "A lord as great as the legendary Momonga of Ainz Ooal Gown Company bothering to remember the incompetent fools who couldn't even survive? What a pathetic thing to do, an absolute waste."

Ugly mutterings ran through the crowd as it parted to reveal a young man in rich clothing with a haughty expression. Naruto raised an eyebrow, he had submitted himself to Albedo's urging and started dressing better than he had, but this man reminded him rather greatly of a peacock. Deep blues and greens mixed with bright gold, and even purple...

All of which clashed horribly with the young man's pock-mocked white skin and … was that _mauve hair?!_

… Okay, a color-blind peacock.

"And who might you be, Peacock-san?"

… _Ah, Naruto-sama, always willing to speak your mind._ The twins thought as one with a sweatdrop. _Even when it could get you into sooo much trouble!_

Peacock went purple in the face as he spluttered, "You don't know who I am?!"

Naruto shrugged, "Sorry, but I haven't yet gotten around to learning the colors of the lesser houses. You can't very well expect me to know who you are in that case."

"I'm not from a lesser house!" Peacock said indignantly.

"Hm? Well you aren't wearing anything resembling a crest, so I just assumed you weren't of any notice." Came Naruto's blithe reply without missing a beat.

"I'm the fifth son of House Furfur!"

"... is he really?" Naruto whispered loudly to Tier.

The blonde woman shrugged, "I don't know, Naruto-sama, but last I knew House Furfur only has two sons and one daughter."

"So… he's pretending to be someone of importance?" Aayla asked confused. She wasn't all that far into her studies on the various houses either. The blue skinned woman was fairly certain that only Tier, and maybe Rias, was that far.

"No, I am not pretending!"

"Are you sure? It's completely fine to admit it, you know. Well, I'm sure we'll all be even less impressed than we already were, but that's a small price for honesty."

… And Naruto thought _he_ had the monopoly on bluntness in his group! That one had to hurt the Peacock's pride though, so he'd let Aayla get away with it. If only because he found it hilarious.

"I am the fifth son of House Furfur! Jorun Furfur!"

"Can you prove that?"

"I'm a Noble! I don't need to prove myself to peons like you!"

"... I'm a noble, too, you know." Naruto pointed out amiably, "And I ask the same question as my Knight: can you prove it?"

During this back and forth, the crowd was having a difficult time deciding on something. Whether or not to laugh at the red faced supposed noble in front of them, or just remain quiet observers…

A loud snort from somewhere in their midst made up their minds and they devolved into helpless giggles. The laughter continued for several minutes as the crowd slowly brought themselves back under control, though Naruto kept a large grin on his face.

Then Naruto noticed something that wiped the good humor from his face, replacing it with thinly veiled displeasure. Behind this foppish peacock were no less than fourteen armed and armored individuals of indeterminate gender, ten of them holding tightly to rods attached to an old style torture device; a metal collar with spikes ringing the inside circumference. The other four were gripping the arms and legs of a black haired girl of roughly his own age who was dressed in rags, two black tails and cat ears were easily visible from his current angle, and she sported multiple bruises and other injuries consistent with being beaten into submission. The part that really got under Naruto's skin, though, was the sight of the person forced to wear the collar.

A small, white haired child with cat ears on top of her head. She, too, was dressed in rags, but where the black haired catgirl was showing a resigned expression, the little one had tears pouring from her mournful yellow eyes and her face was set in an expression of silent pleas for help.

Naruto cleared his throat, and sent Peacock a firm look. "I don't know if you were aware of this or not, but there are laws against what you are doing to those two here in Asmodai territory. No matter who you are, you are not above the law. Release them immediately, or I will have to enforce those laws."

Peacock sneered, "What do the laws of your little pigsty matter to me? I am a noble, a son of House Furfur, and these two are my rightful property, especially after I went to so much trouble to catch them."

Naruto smirked evilly. "The laws matter because you are within my territory, and though the Maou rule the Underworld, each House has full permission to enforce their own laws within their territory. As such, unless you can submit proof of them being wanted criminals, you will free those two girls immediately… or suffer the consequences."

"What do you care about two ragamuffins, anyways?" Peacock asked, sweating profusely. He was well aware of those rules, but he didn't honestly think anyone else in the area would dare to call him on it.

"I don't really care about them in particular," Naruto admitted, his evil smile never leaving his face, "but I absolutely loathe the idea of forced slavery. People who willingly submit, though, are another matter entirely."

"Besides," the blonde teen continued easily, "the one is only a child, and I find the abuse of children to be more than simply abhorrent. Come on man, she can't be more than eight years old!"

"She isn't."

"... I'm sorry, what did you say, miss?" Naruto directed his question to the black haired girl who had spoken up. Her voice was rough, probably from yelling and screaming as she tried to fight off her captors, but there was a natural undercurrent that gave it a slightly seductive sound. Naruto suddenly felt his pants to be a size too small.

"I said she isn't, milord. My sister is actually just eight years old."

"Shut up!" Peacock shouted nervously as he backhanded her across the mouth. The action drew a thin line of blood from a new split in her lip.

A moment later Peacock was dead, his lifeless body falling to the ground without his head, which was clasped firmly in Naruto's outstretched hand. A jagged tear along the neck to indicate that the head had simply been ripped off, even before the victim knew of what was happening.

"Right, I was going to be nice, but my patience is done. I'll write Lord Furfur an apology later, but as for you guards…" Naruto turned his burning stare upon the unfortunate people still holding the two now-revealed sisters captive.

"... I have already told you to let them go… why have you not done so yet?"

The subsequent rush to do as he bade them resulted in a cacophony of noise and the two catgirls were soon free and standing on their own, albeit more than a tad unsteadily. Tier immediately moved to help the two, finding it rather interesting that the healing magic she had just started to learn would already be coming into play, even if it was only the lowest level of spells.

Naruto nodded in satisfaction and gazed upon the nervous guards with a blank face, dropping the severed head onto the cobblestones at his feet. "Alright, I don't care where you all go, I don't care what you do, so long as you don't pull this shit again in my area. Go away, stay and find lives, I don't care. Choose now."

The fourteen guards looked at each other briefly, then knelt in the dust and removed their helmets. Long flowing hair cascaded down each of their backs and their faces revealed that each of them was female… Naruto shook his head, no, Haku had looked more than a little feminine too...

… _Actually I'm still not entirely certain of what Haku's gender was! He said he was a boy, but she could have been lying to throw everyone off…_

… _Fuck it. I don't care anymore._

The foremost one looked up at him as he returned from his wandering thoughts, "We wish to serve you, Lord Asmodai. We have nowhere to go now that you have killed our former master." Seeing Naruto raise an eyebrow she hastened to explain, "We cannot return to Lord Furfur, our oaths had bound us to Jorun instead of his former House. It is the only reason we stayed with him when he was cast out. We also have no other skills outside of combat or guarding."

… _Seriously? Is this some kind of "Spoils of War" bullshit? What the heck are these people thinking?!_

"... Seriously?" He couldn't help but echo is thoughts a little.

"Yes."

 _Okay, instant flat declaration as an answer. That leaves no room for possible interpretations. … How do I get myself into these kinds of situations?!_

With a sigh, Naruto gave in. "Alright. I'll admit my own house is a little shorthanded at the moment, so I guess I shouldn't be looking a gift horse in the mouth."

"Thank you, Lord Naruto! We swear to serve you loyally until we die!"

Naruto cleaned his ear with a finger. The sudden declaration that sprung from all fourteen throats was hard on his ears. Damn that shit hurt!

He then turned his attention back to the two catgirls, and had to force himself not to blush now that he could see just how well-developed the older one was. The only thing that came to him to describe her was "sinfully voluptuous", and she couldn't really be much older than him! Forcing his eyes to stay above her eminently viewable cleavage- _Hooray for ragged clothing that doesn't hide anything!_ -, he saw the gaze of a fellow prankster in her golden eyes.

Naruto cleared his throat a little. "Well then ladies, what about you two? I can see that you are in need of medical services, and I would be happy to see to your treatment if you wish. Perhaps a meal and some new clothes as well? I will admit that I did not anticipate this kind of situation happening when I came out to see what was going on in the town."

A tired and grateful smile curled the elder girl's lips. "That would be very kind, but we don't want to impose..."

Naruto waved off her concerns with one hand. "No imposition, I am merely offering. If you would rather just go home, then by all means, feel free."

Their eyes dropped in depressed silence. "We don't have a home anymore. That guy burned it down as part of my punishment for not giving in to his demands to join his peerage. Then, when I still refused, he captured my little sister, Shirone-chan here, and said he'd hurt her if I continued. I gave up at that point."

The blonde teen nodded, "Well, like I said, I'm willing to help you out."

The sisters looked at each other uncertainly for a bit, then turned back to him with a tentative nod. "Alright, we'll at least accept your help for now. Oh, and my name is Kuroka."

"Excellent!" Naruto clapped once in elation, "Tier, would you be so kind as to see to everything? The new guards and these two girls? I'll be along shortly, and then I must return to my discussion with Tiamat."

The tall blonde woman gave a short nod, and started off in the direction of the mansion. The guards and the two catgirls following, though the sisters were both wary and tired. They weren't really sure of what to make of what just happened, but they would give this devil the benefit of the doubt.

For now.

Shaking his head to clear his suddenly lustful thoughts, which popped up completely uncensored as he watched the swaying hips of the departing women, Naruto returned his attention to his fellow blonde male. Robe was sweating, his eyes wide at what he just witnessed.

"Now then, where were we?" Naruto asked rhetorically.

"Are you seriously going to ignore the corpse lying on the ground behind you?" Robe said incredulously.

"What corpse?"

"That one…" Robe moved to point one finger at the body of the dead devil, only to find nothing there. "Wha-? Where did it go?!"

Naruto gave him a concerned look, "Are you alright, man? Maybe you'd best sit down for a bit and rest, especially if you're seeing dead bodies."

Robe stared at the younger blonde dumbly, then curled up on the spot, hands holding his head as if to ward off a vicious headache. His eyes were wide and unseeing, and his lips moved constantly as if saying something, but no sound came from him.

Naruto blinked, and turned an innocent gaze to the elderly woman he had been talking to before, "You think he's okay?"

No one in hearing range could quite manage to stop a sweatdrop from forming. Aayla joined Melanie and her sister in face-palming. They weren't sure what happened to the body either, but they were at least one-hundred percent certain that their Master had killed someone not too long ago.

There were still bloodstains on the cobbles.

"Oh, and in response to one of your earlier comments I heard," Naruto said, "I have also been heavily influenced in my methods by the Gama Youkai of Mt Myobyoku. So it's not just human influence in how I do things."

The elderly devil stared at him in shock, "The Toad clan?"

Naruto nodded with a smile.

The old man shook his head, but it was the old woman who shared the only thought going through the crowd.

"That explains the crazy."

 **XxXxXxXx**

"Hey, Brat," Kurama popped up at Naruto's side in the midst of the crowd. Surprise and an air of wariness ran through the assembled devils at the sight of the red nine-tailed fox. "That mirror's focusing in again, looks like something those twins described, but it's weird. Almost like the person's stuck between worlds."

The blonde's eyes widened, and he immediately started back to the mansion.

"Sorry folks, but a system using my one of my father's artifacts is in need of my attention," he called out as he made his way through the crowd. "Kurama, if you wouldn't mind staying and keeping Robe over there by the wins company, maybe drag his feathered ass to the local jail, I'd appreciate it. I really want to talk with him later and find out why a Fallen Angel decided to try this stunt. Melanie, Militia, with me please. I'd like you there to make sure that it is your world."

Another shock ran through the crowd. Robe was a Fallen? How did he know?

The twins shared an inquisitive expression as they followed him. They had been standing close to Robe, why hadn't they noticed anything?

Naruto sneezed a little, and then grumbled, "why do wet feathers have to smell so bad?"

Kurama looked at the man called Robe, and his snout wrinkled at the smell of piss, wet feathers, wet cloth, and something the fox didn't want to know wafting off him. Well, that explained the wet feathers comment… What the heck happened? He left the boy alone for only a few minutes and he missed the fun?

 _NOT FAIR! It's supposed to be my job to scare people enough to piss themselves!_

The crowd of devils parted, clearing a path for the obviously frustrated kitsune to get to Robe. They didn't know why the creature suddenly seemed annoyed, but they felt it might be in their best interests to not get between him and the softly babbling man.

Kurama stalked up to Robe, the fox's shadow catching the man's attention, and glared at the instigator with burning red eyes that practically screamed of malicious intent. The vicious smile and licking of chops didn't help the man's nerves in the slightest.

"Please try to escape. Then I can at least vent a little upon your cooling corpse."

Robe whimpered.

 **XxXxXxXx**

The Malachite sisters stared in amazed horror at the scene in the mirror.

"That's definitely our world," Melanie said softly. "But I don't get it, this looks like the same day that Lord Gressen and Lady Kethry saved us. It's been years since then! How can this be?"

Naruto shrugged unhelpfully. "I don't know, Melanie. I'm still looking into how Time works, and the effects brought on by my own Power of Domination."

He paused for a moment as a thought struck him, even while a circle began lighting up beneath him. "Maybe your world wasn't so much dying, as it was coming to a halt for a while. Until certain restrictions wre released or conditions were met."

Militia just glared at him, and made a shooing motion with her hands. "Well, Naruto-sama, whether our world is dead or stuck, you have the power to stop a death. Get to it, would you?"

Naruto chuckled and tossed an impudent salute at the black-themed maid. "Yes, ma'am."

 **XxXxXxXx**

The young woman stared at the image in her mind's eye of a finger, and the flame dancing on its tip, that had spelled her death. She didn't want to die. Most definitely not! Who really did when they were only seventeen years old?

… Well, there were always those who felt pushed to suicide, but she wasn't in that column. If anything the young woman felt that she was in the category of those who who simply wished to enjoy their life. There was so much she wanted to see and do with her life; graduate school, make more friends who saw her for herself, see more of the world, perhaps make a name for herself that wasn't synonymous with fighting, maybe find love and settle down to raise a family with that special person.

But now she floated here, in a world where everything was as red as her hair, and where she could see nothing but that one color. If this was the afterlife, it was a great deal more … boring and red than she had thought it would be. She always thought that the afterlife would be either an eternal burning inferno or an unimaginable paradise. Not… whatever this was.

… She _was_ dead, wasn't she? That's the only real conclusion you can come to when you feel yourself split apart on what seemed to be a molecular level. But if that wasn't what happened, then where was she now?

" _You are between worlds. You were cast here because it was not your time to die, at least not without another choice."_

A young man's voice echoed around her, swiftly followed by her senses being engulfed in a radiant golden light. When spots stopped dancing before her eyes, the young woman felt herself blushing at the person who now stood- floated? -at her left side, her body seemingly at his waist height. Tanned skin, strong features, deep silver-and-blue eyes that she wanted to fall into, three whisker-like marks on either cheek, and a subtly powerful build barely hidden beneath a pinstriped suit.

Then he smiled at her and she felt the rest of her body heat up. Well, that convinced her she wasn't dead at least. A dead girl shouldn't be able to feel herself get flushed with heat from what could only be her teenage hormones. But dammit if that smile shouldn't be illegal or classified as a deadly weapon!

For his part, Naruto was internally struck speechless at this girl's beauty. If not for a few factors he would have sworn she was a younger version of his own mother.

The first difference were her eyes; his mother's were a violet, this girl's were a vibrant emerald. They were such a contrast with her light skin tone that Naruto almost felt his brain stop to imprint them better in his memory.

The second was the style and shade of her red hair; his mother had taken to wearing her hair loose as opposed to the high ponytail that this girl sported, and this girl's hair was a deep blood red as opposed to his mother's lighter tone.

The third item on his mental list was the outfit: his mother had never worn something like this girl's ensemble. Her top consisted of two layers. The above layer was a light-brown, strapless corset-style top divided vertically with some bronze patterns. This was probably a piece of leather and metal armor as it appeared to be quite stiff, maintaining its shape without support; this layer also seemed to have some kind of riveting or small, round embroidery on the sides, which could also have been heavy stitching. The bottom layer is a low bronze V-neck. On her hips she wore an elastic, black, A-line miniskirt and brown opera-length gloves on both arms. She also wore a red ankle-length drapery that appeared to be wrapped around her skirt. On her legs were what appeared to be bronze armor that started at mid-thigh and reached down into a pair of brown low-heeled boots. Around her neck was something that looked to be a bronze collar of some sort, and she had a light dusting of green eyeshadow.

And dear Maou, that body! She may not have been as generously proportioned as Kuroka, but damn if she wasn't just as gorgeous in her own way!

Fourth item on his mental checklist was another obvious one; her weapons. She had what seemed to be a shortsword and a wood-and-bronze shield on her back. Uzumaki Kushina wasn't really known to use any weapons outside her Adamantine Chains or kunai and shuriken in battle, but this sword and shield had definitely seen their fair share of use.

Naruto was mesmerized, and in that moment of inattentiveness he missed seeing the signs that she seemed to be just as taken with _him_. The two teens just stared at each other for a little bit.

Hormones. Ugh.

He cleared his throat, and crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to renew the seriousness of the situation. He was quite proud of himself that his voice only cracked a little when he tried to speak.

"Ah, my apologies, miss. You'd think that with the frequency with which I meet beautiful women I'd be a little more on the ball. My name is Naruto Asmodai, and I'm here to give you an offer."

The girl blinked, and gave a soft smile. She heard the slight warble and the sheepish tone hidden behind the words. The blush at being called beautiful, though, and in such an offhand manner, refused to just go down.

"I'm Pyrrha Nikos."

A jolt shot through him at the sound of her voice. It wasn't the soft, but deep, yet certainly feminine tone that had him reacting, though. It was the undercurrent of sadness, one he knew intimately from his own past. This was a lonely girl, and that loneliness was instantly translated over to him in the form of sympathetic energy that made him just want to hug her and share his own lonely past with her in an effort to get them both passed it…

Apparently this time he had gone too deep into thought, as he barely caught the tail end of her next words.

"- saying something about an offer?"

"Hm? Ah, sorry 'bout that. Didn't mean to space out on you like that." Naruto apologized, his sincere tone going a long ways to reassuring Pyrrha that he hadn't simply been ogling her.

He cleared his throat again. "The offer is relatively simple, Pyrrha-chan- do you mind if I call you that? -," getting a shake of her head for an answer, he continued. "As I was saying, the offer is if fairly simple. I can take you out of this place, give you a new place to call home, an extended lifespan, new comrades and friends to both live and fight alongside you, or with you if you wish," he threw a small wink her way and Pyrrha felt herself blush a little more, "and whole new worlds to explore."

Pyrrha thought about it for a moment, then asked, "what do you want in return?"

Naruto shrugged slightly and held up two red objects for her to see. They looked like transparent sculptures of dragons…

"What I want in return is just as simple: a comrade I can count on in battle, a friend to hold me up or scold me when I need it." He frowned a little, "there is the technicality that you would also become my servant, the 'Pawn' to my 'King' as it were, but I don't much care about that. These two pieces, along with thirteen others, were sent out into the void of Time and Space, to find people who deserved to live and have a second chance at life."

He smiled brightly again, causing the girl's face to heat up once more. "The fact that both of these have chosen you tells me that you are an individual with integrity and inner strength, someone I want working with me toward mutual goals."

She frowned. "Servant?"

Naruto's grin dropped. "I hoped you'd overlook that part."

He sighed, folding his legs under him and floating place so that he looked to be sitting beside her. "Look, the servant bit wasn't my idea, it's part of the rules I'm stuck working with. To save your life and take you from here, there has to be a trade from you that equals the amount of effort, paperwork, and whatnot that I have to deal with. These pieces, the pawns from my set of similarly themed other pieces, they automatically register you as being part of my House as a servant under my singular authority."

"It may not have been your idea, but you still go along with it." Pyrrha pointed out calmly, her blush finally fading and her mind clearing enough to watch him for deceit.

The blonde shrugged again, a pair of large bat-like wings appearing from behind him. "I'm a devil. Well," he said sheepishly, "a half-devil, half-human, who nonetheless is responsible for the lands and people of my House."

Naruto locked his gaze onto hers, the seriousness of the topic reflected within the silver-flecked blue. "I may not have made the rule, nor been the one to think it up, but can you honestly say that it isn't without merit? The concept alone is sound, in exchange for not only a new life and a longer span of years to go with it, you also gain a devil's magic, and the protection of your new king's family and name, the receiver of the piece becomes that devil's servant. Not really a bad deal, if you think about it."

"But I doubt that all of these 'kings' are good people," Pyrrha said neutrally, not placing any blame, just making a statement.

He grimaced at that. "Certainly some devils abuse that power and authority to do as they wish with their peerage members, but there are just as many- if not more -who view their servants as I do; as friends and family. Those like myself are trying to make ours the more common view, and eventually the rule rather than the missed chance."

"We're having rather limited success honestly," he admitted candidly.

"Why is that?" She asked curiously. Pyrrha was so far very impressed with this young man, he hadn't lied to her yet that she could see, and she trusted her instincts.

"You mean aside from the fact that many of my so-called compatriots have noble titles that would become partly superfluous?" Naruto said, sarcasm dripping from his tone before sighing and running a hand through his hair. "It pretty much boils down to status and perceived status, along with the fact that the tradition is to give the pieces to devils who have either been acknowledged as High-class or a noble-born that just passed their fifteenth year; which means, in the case of the males, that they are _just_ entering puberty, and they now have a legal way of getting a harem of beautiful women to see to their every need."

He smirked cynically. "I think I'm quite pleased with how I'm doing things. At least with my method I'm saving people's lives, instead of inflating my own ego. I really don't need a flock of women to see to my every possible whim."

Pyrrha quirked one eyebrow up, "and just how many have you saved so far? And what were their gender?"

Naruto winced, one hand coming up to rest over his heart. "Oh! You wound me, Pyrrha-chan! The fact that my pieces have only allowed me to save three lives before this, and that two of them are beautiful women, with the third a young girl with promise for the future, is hardly my fault! It's just how my luck seems to be running, especially with those sixteen other females that I just helped out before coming here."

Pyrrha couldn't keep a straight face, and gave into giggles at the dramatized speech and comical expression of betrayal. Her laughter eventually tapered off, though, into sobs. She didn't want to abandon her world, her friends, and all the adventures that still awaited her. The redhead cried so hard that she didn't even feel strong arms pull her into a warm embrace and give her a shoulder to cry on.

Naruto gently petted her hair, and let the girl cry as he whispered soothingly into her ear. "Shh, Pyrrha-chan, you'll be okay. You don't have to be alone any longer. Come with me, Pyrrha-chan. I know the pain of being looked at and treated as something else all too well. I promise you, above and beyond everything else, you can always count on me, and I will always listen to your troubles. I promise, Pyrrha-chan, you will always have a friend in me."

"I'm really dead to my world, aren't I?" She cried into his shoulder.

Naruto sighed and hugged her a little tighter, his sympathetic heart reaching out to her and feeling her pain. "Yes, Pyrrha-chan, I'm afraid you are."

Her tears intensified, and he just held her, stroking her hair and gently whispering words of comfort. He didn't care that he could feel the world beginning to reject him as an existence it didn't support. So what if he was already feeling the rejection from her plane of existence because devil-kind wasn't a part of this world? At the moment he didn't care. Pyrrha needed him right now, and he'd expend as much magic as he needed to make sure she was okay.

Slowly the young woman's cries lessened, and she hiccupped a little. She fixed him with a teary gaze, "What if I want more than a friend, Naruto Asmodai? What if I also want love? A family to call my own, a husband? Children?"

She had thought she might have found love with her friend and team captain, Jaune Arc, but he never seemed to return her feelings. She knew she was shy and awkward when it came to exposing her heart like this, leaving herself so vulnerable. It frightened her immensely, the thought of a pain that may never go away. So when he kept pursuing that other girl, Weiss Shnee, and seemingly incapable of understanding the redhead's advances, Pyrrha put on a brave face and tried to support him despite how much it hurt her to think of him in another's arms.

Now, here was another blonde young man with the heart to see her for herself, showing that he wanted to be her _friend_. Pyrrha wasn't sure about what she was feeling, but in the heat of the moment she was going to follow that tiny voice in the back of her head that told her this person was being sincere. The fact that she also found him physically attractive didn't hurt either, but she didn't _want_ to think right now, she just wanted to feel and enjoy the comfort he was giving, her emotions still raw from her breakdown.

Naruto brushed a stray bang behind her ear, "if that's what you want, Pyrrha-chan, I won't stop you. Instead I will support you, as I hope you will support me and the others of my peerage."

Pyrrha's head tilted a little in confusion, "Others? Peerage? What do you mean?"

He shrugged and gained a sheepish expression. "I said it earlier, right? I've managed to save three women's lives so far with these pieces. Two of whom are older than me, and one that is a few years younger."

Naruto saw the light of memory in her eyes as she blushed in embarrassment for apparently having forgotten that. "When they accepted their own Pieces they became devils in their own right, as well as members of what is known as my Peerage. Based off the human game of chess there are a grand total of sixteen pieces: king, queen, two bishops, two knights, two rooks, and eight pawns. I, of course, have the king, and the only thing I know it does is that it binds me to my people, and they to me. So far each of them has been granted something unique."

He paused, "I'm not going too fast am I?"

Pyrrha shook her head negatively. "It's a little much, and very surprising, but I'm hanging in there. What ones have you used already?"

Naruto looked a little uncomfortable as he admitted, "The queen, one bishop, and one knight."

The redhead nodded, a thoughtful look on her face as her flushing calmed down. "You said they each gained something? Something that bound both you and them tighter? Why is that, and what did they get?"

He nodded, "the why is a little interesting. You'll have noticed from the two pawn pieces from earlier that mine is probably not a standard set. In fact, the creator of the pieces just said they were weird and left me to figure it all out through trial and error. The main thing I know is that it seems to be based purely on luck."

Pyrrha giggled at the faintly annoyed expression that crossed his face at that. "My queen, Tier Harribel, gained the ability to feel my emotions. Rias Gremory, my bishop, and the young girl I mentioned, gained a portion of my mental training. And my knight, Aayla Secura, … I'm actually not certain what she got. The only guess I have is that it somehow reflects my own 'purity' or 'light' due to the fact that her piece looked like a unicorn. I haven't gotten around to asking her."

He shrugged with a grimace, "I also have no idea about the pawns other than that since they're shaped like dragons, which are apparently prideful creatures, it may give you something of me that I'm inherently proud of. Like I said, this is pretty much trial and error."

Pyrrha blinked as a thought suddenly occurred to her, "come to think of it, where did those little things go? You had them before…?"

"Apparently as the 'king' I can act as a temporary vessel for them to hide in," Naruto said as the two dragon-shaped pieces appeared for a brief moment beside his head before vanishing again.

… _So these things are somewhat experimental. He knows they work, but not everything they do. That's dicey, especially since there's no guarantee of just what I might get for accepting…_

Naruto cleared his throat, interrupting her thoughts. "By the way, Pyrrha-chan, are you alright with our current position?"

 _What is he talking about…?_

She looked down and her face went as red as her hair even as she suddenly shot a good three feet away from him. She had been sitting _on his lap_! Her legs had been around his waist! Her skirt…!

 _Oh, this is sooo embarrassing!_ Pyrrha thought to herself as she subtly pushed her skirt back into place from where it had ridden up on her hips. She cast a glance at Naruto, wondering if he'd seen her panties in that brief time, only to see his face as red as hers and turned to the side to give her a modicum of privacy to fix herself up.

Naruto's thoughts were a bit more predictable.

… _Damned teenage devil hormones! Sure she's gorgeous and all, but damned if I'm not having a hard time with this!_

Pyrrha cleared her throat a little to grab his attention, her embarrassment still heavy, but hardly debilitating. "So what if I turn down you offer? Not that I am!" She hastened to assure him, "but I'm curious what you'd do."

Naruto took a few moments to think about that, and let his blushes cool so he didn't inadvertently stutter or something. What _would_ he do if someone chosen by his Pieces refused the offer? It was, admittedly, not a question he'd thought of.

He shrugged, "not much I _can_ do, in that case. I'm not going to force this on anyone, it becomes no better than slavery then, and I hate slavery. I guess … I guess I'd just have to take the pieces back with me and send them out again to find someone else."

Pyrrha smiled at that, a soft little smile that lit up her face and made her eyes practically glow. Naruto couldn't help himself, he felt his face flush again as he stared at her, almost spellbound. He decided that she looked really good with that smile.

The redhead meanwhile was debating with herself. Agree, or not? He'd been honest with her so far, so she didn't doubt his sincerity or his character. But to serve him, perhaps for the rest of her life? And to become a devil herself in the process? That meant that her life would probably become much longer as well. Then there was the randomness of those pieces, what would they do to her that could bind her to him even stronger than a normal piece? So many questions.

Pyrrha watched his eyes, the windows to his soul. Then she studied his posture, the way he held himself. In the end, though, what finally decided her was the heat emanating from her heart whenever she thought about him, and the pain that came from thee thought of being alone again.

She took a step forward, "I accept, Naruto. I will join you."

Naruto smiled, his right hand coming up beside her, opening to reveal the two sculpted dragons. Pyrrha kept eye contact with him as grabbed both pieces with her own right hand. Letting a new, soft golden light envelop her, Pyrrha found her heart was as light as air.

She wasn't scared anymore. Of herself. Of being rejected. Of being used just for her strength. Of being viewed for nothing more than her accomplishments. She wouldn't let her fear cause her to miss any more chances for happiness, no matter how fleeting it might be.

She still had questions, a great many of them, but now she had the time to find them out at her own pace. She wouldn't rush herself, but she wouldn't let life and happiness just pass her by either.

She was Pyrrha Nikos, the now proud Pawn of Naruto Asmodai.

And maybe, just maybe, sometime in the future she might become something more.

 **XxXxXxXx - Ending Notes**

… Yes, a portion of this chapter was heavily inspired by another set of books, and bravo to those of you who recognize it.

I do apologize for the wait, but unfortunately I've been getting distracted lately by a whole mess of things, including, but not limited to, the random thoughts popping up in my head for other stories, a death in my family, the sudden onslaught of a winter cold enough to leave snow on the ground, and my mother dragging me out of my house to make sure I at least have something in the way of human contact.

Next, to the Guest who apparently didn't read my Author's Note at the beginning of Ch01, I'll say it again: The Peerage is Chosen already. I'll admit you had a number of interesting ideas, and even got a few characters right (one in the correct position to boot), but overall they simply are either not possible, I've never heard of them, or they lack a control vector to make them plausible.

NO, neither Kuroka nor her sister will be joining Naruto's peerage. I said no more than one person from any universe, and I already have Rias as rep for DxD.

Finally, in an earlier chapter I have said Kushina's eyes were greyish. That was because I was going off what I could see from canon images. Here they have become violet because it was what I could find, so I'll probably be going back and forth between the two.

1 - Musashi Miyamoto was a renowned swordsman from the time of Nobunaga Oda. His greatest enemy, according to the stories, was another swordsman by the name of Sasaki Kojiro, who was said to have been defeated in a furious duel to the death by Musashi. Unfortunately,to the best of my knowledge, that story was proven false, but it is still circulated due to it's popularity.

2 - Karumn Astaroth: an OC of mine for this fic, and the current head of House Astaroth in the wake of his cousin Ajuka's acceptance of the seat of Beelzebub.

Current Peerage

 **Queen** \- Tier Harribel

 **Bishop** \- Rias Gremory

 **Knight** \- Aayla Secura

 **Pawn** \- Pyrrha Nikos (2)

 **YES! Pyrrha Nikos as Pawn! Those who called it know who they are, and I know I'm going to be getting complaints that she should have been a Knight instead. But so what? This is MY story, and I felt that she fit better as a two-piece Pawn. Which leaves us with a Bishop, Knight, two Rooks, and six Pawns.**

 **Assistance with this chapter came from SkySage24**

 **Happy New Year everyone!**

~Dreaming of the Phoenix


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: See chapter 01.**

 **Chapter 08: Adjustment Pt4 - An Explanation, a New Family Bond?, and an Apology**

Tiamat turned to the door of the office as Naruto returned with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about the wait, but something came up. Did you want to continue, or make another appointment?"

"Not a problem, your friend Konan has been keeping me company and telling me more about both you and your old world. I found the stories… interesting." The dragon smiled, "as such I believe we can pick up where we left off at without issue. Though I do have to ask why you feel a little off?"

The blonde smiled tiredly as he retook his seat, "Sharp senses, Tiamat. I'm what is known as a Kage Bunshin, or Shadow Clone. I am an otherwise perfect copy of the original Naruto that gets stuck with doing other things while he takes care of his newest peerage member, as is his tradition."

Tiamat raised an eyebrow, "Shadow Clone? That sounds useful, but aside from taking his place while he takes care of his new servant, which I do approve of him doing by the way, what good are you?"

The clone chuckled, "When I dispel all the experiences and memories I collected during that time are passed back to him. Essentially you could think of me as his extendable extra hand."

"Either way," he said with aplomb, "I believe it was your turn."

"Indeed it was," Tiamat said humorously, "but I'm not going to spill my secrets to just anyone."

"And on that note, I think I'll take to the hot baths, my back is finally starting to complain." Konan stated as she rose from the couch and left the room, closing the door firmly behind her.

"Well," Tiamat started with a small cough to clear her throat. "I was born along time ago, and let me remind you that it is impolite to ask a lady's age..."

 **XxXxXxXx**

Pyrrha Nikos felt herself returning to her senses reluctantly, as though they just did not want to wake up. This was an extremely odd feeling for her, she had never before had a problem with waking up. In fact she was typically awake with the dawn, ready and willing to get her day started so she could experience it to the fullest. Yet this time her body seemed to rebel against the very idea of moving, so she did the only thing she could think of.

She focused on what she could feel and sense around her. Maybe if she had more information she could force her body to work properly.

The first thing to enter her notice was the softness of whatever she was lying on. Then the warmth she was wrapped up in hit her and she figured she was either in heaven or the absolute softest bed. The sensation of silken sheets running over body as she managed to shift a little restlessly informed her that the latter was the more likely option.

 _Why am I in a bed?_ She wondered, her mind still tired and groggy with sleep. _Did someone save me from Cinder? Did we win? What about the Grimm horde?_

The next thing to register with her, was the simple fact that she could actually _feel_ the sheets covering her. Which meant to her now-rapidly-waking mind that she was completely naked underneath. That was most certainly _not_ either how she preferred to sleep nor standard practice for any sort of hospice.

 _Why would I be naked? Surely someone could have just grabbed some of my spare clothes and put them on me? Nora knows where they are after all._

Third on her mental list was the feeling of her right hand being held by another. This fact brought her eyelids back under her control as they flew open so she could see who was there. Though the first thing she saw was a white overhang of some kind of sheer material that draped around the four posts of the bed she was occupying, in a dimly-lit room, that hardly stopped her eyes from panning downward to a mop of sleeping blonde hair.

 _Jaune?_

Despite her first thought being of her first friend and team leader, she quickly realized that this hair did not belong to said friend. No, while both this young man and Jaune had naturally messy blonde locks, that was where the similarity ended. Jaune's hair was flat and reminded her somewhat of a kicked puppy when he was depressed. This young man, however, possessed spiky locks that partially defied gravity, and were of a sun-kissed variety as opposed to Jaune's more basic yellow.

 _Who is this… ?_

As she asked herself that question the memories hit her with all the weight and subtlety of a freight train. Her death at Cinder Fall's hand, being stuck in that strange in-between place, Her meeting with the very man holding her hand as if she would vanish if he were to let go…

 _Naruto … Asmodai_

Pyrrha felt a small smile form on her lips, and in the back of her mind she noted that pure instinctual reaction, merely without thought, seemed to be the answer to getting her body under control again. Idly she noted that the marks on his cheeks that loaned him a feral appeal while awake made him look a great deal like an adorable cub of some sort when sleeping… the tiny amount of drool escaping from his turned head didn't detract from the impression in the least.

He was in a low chair, either that or her bed was really high, his head resting on his right arm in his sleep. It was the hand of that arm that held her own, Pyrrha saw, and she felt a flush of warmth wash through her at the thought that he had stayed with her while she was unconscious. She blithely ignored the fact that she was naked beneath the sheets, doubting that anything untoward had happened if he was sleeping fully clothed in the same charcoal pinstriped suit she had last seen him in.

Besides, she felt lethargic, not sore or sticky. There was little chance that he had bothered to clean up after assaulting her unconscious body, so it stood to reason that she had been stripped and placed in the bed by someone else. Which was a profound relief to her, because while she admitted silently to having been attracted to him she wasn't the kind of girl who was comfortable with idea of a man seeing her naked body without her permission, whether she was unconscious at the time or not. So the idea that he might have had another woman see to her was a point in her good graces.

 _Oh good, my mind is clearing up. If I can think logically about his actions then I must be coming along fairly well... But why was I so muddled in the first place? Maybe Naruto can give me a few answers?_

Pyrrha twisted to lie on her side, facing the blonde teen, and gently reached out with her free left hand to shake him awake. Her hand didn't quite make it, though, as his right hand suddenly let go of her to intercept her left, grasping it tightly at the wrist.

 _Is he really awake, just faking sleep?_

A mumble of unintelligible words from the sleeping blonde dispelled that thought, even as Naruto's head rolled over to lay on his other arm, which she was just now noticing.

 _Okay, I really must have been out of it to miss that..._

A small quirk to her lips changed the gentle smile to one of mischievous amusement as she alternated hands to attempt to prod her new… friend… awake, only have them batted away by the shuto(1) of his right hand unconsciously. The level of defensive training for that was rather mind-boggling, but Pyrrha couldn't help taking a certain amount of enjoyment in the game. Who would win? His sleeping mind protecting its current state, or her questing hands?

The game went on for a few minutes, Pyrrha's alternating hands getting no closer to the sleeping man, but not receiving any form of retaliatory strike in return. It looked to continue for even longer, the girl's frustration starting to win through, when she went for a double attack. Surely he couldn't stop two widely separate hands with only one, right?

 _Wrong!_ Pyrrha's mind supplied to her a few moments later when she found both wrists securely held in the grasp of his right hand. It didn't make sense, his hand wasn't really big enough to hold _both_ of her wrists…

 _Okay, on closer inspection, he's grabbed them both at their narrowest, so yes, yes his hand is big enough… barely, but big enough. Damn delicate wrists!_

"Pyrrha-chan, if you wanted me awake there was an easier method," Naruto's voice penetrated her thoughts, and her eyes swept to his face to note his own orbs were being held closed firmly.

Playing along, the redhead asked, "What could that have been?"

"Asking." Came Naruto's deadpan answer, his eyes still tightly shut.

Pyrrha quirked an eyebrow, "Why aren't you opening your eyes?"

"I know you're naked, Pyrrha-chan. I didn't think you'd want me to look," he answered honestly.

She looked down at herself and indeed her naked chest was on full display, which would have given him a perfect view of her breasts if he just opened his eyes. Pyrrha blushed heavily, and on a knee-jerk reaction tried to hide herself, only to tug uselessly at the hands still trapped in Naruto's grip. Her eyes widened, was he going to look now? Did she read his previous honourable intentions wrong? And why did the thought that he might, and _could_ , take her here and now seem to excite her a little?

When he felt her try to pull away, he held for just a moment, his hormones screaming at him to _push her down and take her, she was his now after all, his Pawn, his servant, and he had been holding back from the others that could sate his needs for so long now…_

Naruto shook his head and forced his hand to release her wrists, then turned around on the chair and said firmly, "Pyrrha-chan, please cover yourself. There are clothes on the nightstand on the other side of the bed, then we can talk more."

She didn't move, her mind and heart racing.

He wet his suddenly dry lips when he didn't hear movement, "please, this is hard enough without the temptations of your beauty."

Pyrrha felt her body flush with even more heat at his admission of finding her beautiful. On top of that she felt a desire to show him everything anyway, just to see what he would do. She resolutely shoved the idea to the back of her mind, it just wasn't like her to do such a thing, and that fact alone managed to galvanize her body to clothe itself.

The clothing was fairly simple, plain white underwear, followed by gold-trimmed black slacks and long-sleeved button shirt, finished off with white socks and a pair of white loafers. Yet they all fit her perfectly, comfortably, as if tailored to her. To truly finish her look she found a black-gold-and-white hair tie to put her hair up her usual ponytail. It was only after she finished putting everything on that she realized the shirt was actually just sheer enough to see through to her white bra.

Surprisingly she didn't feel shame or any sort of real embarrassment, Rather she felt excited, Pyrrha knew she had a good body and this outfit seemed to enhance it without necessarily showing off more than she was comfortable with. The fact that first person to see her in this kind of thing would be a young man she was honestly becoming interested in just iced the cake in her opinion. Besides, it wasn't really that revealing when she thought back on some of the swimsuits she remembered seeing in her time at Sanctum in Mistral.

"Well, it's not what I'm used to, but I think I like it." Pyrrha said as she turned around.

Naruto turned as well, his silver-blue eyes glowing in the low light of the room, and despite feeling a sudden tightening of his pants he retained an even tone. "There's a reason for all of that," he gestured to a set of facing couches at the foot of the bed, "Why don't we sit there? I'll call one of the maids to bring something to eat and drink, and we can talk. I'd bet you're hungry, I know I am."

 _Dammit! I just know Albedo had a hand in this!_

The redhead thought it over for a moment, then nodded and took a seat on one couch. She then watched her new friend move over to a set of double doors, open them, giving quiet instructions to someone in the hall, then close the door and take a seat on the couch across from her. He had a small rueful smile on his face.

"Something should be here shortly, why don't we get to some of your questions while we wait?" Naruto suggested.

Pyrrha nodded, "Alright, then I think my first questions would be: how long was I out, why was I naked, and where are my clothes?"

The rueful smile changed to a small grimace. "Ah, of course. Well to begin with, you have been out for two days-"

"Two days!" The girl interrupted, her eyes and mouth wide in shock.

Naruto nodded, "Yes. While not unheard of for newly transformed devils, it was a little worrying, as it meant that on some level you may have been fighting the change."

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she ducked her head in shame. "I suppose, if anything, I was probably more wondering why, if you could revive people, you couldn't just return me to life as a human."

He sighed and brought one hand up to massage the bridge of his nose. Valid question it may be, but how was it this one girl was poking so many holes in a system that had stood for some centuries already? As far as he knew no one else had had to answer these kinds of things! Why did he have to get the ones with working minds?

… _Oh, right. That was one of the priorities I placed on my search system._

Dropping his hand, Naruto looked the young woman across from him dead in the eye to show her his honesty. "Why can we not simply revive people as humans? You'd probably be surprised that you are likely the first reincarnated devil to ask that question."

Pyrrha was indeed surprised. No one had asked before? Why not?

Naruto raised one hand palm forward to stop her from asking another question. "Now, oddly enough, all of your questions currently are linked. I'll add on the one I can see in your eyes, 'why hasn't anyone else asked?' to the list." He received a nod of acceptance, "That one is fairly simple: no one asked, because no one thought about it. It was just accepted doctrine, we can revive you as a devil, but not something else."

He paused for a moment as the door opened, a maid with long honey-blonde hair placed a tray of various drinks and sandwiches on a table between them and bowed herself out. Naruto then waved a hand to the tray, and waited for Pyrrha to help herself before continuing.

"If one thinks about it, it's fairly obvious why we can't just bring you back as humans if you die. All living things must come to an end, that end is referred to as 'death'. Trying to recreate that former life treads into what is commonly referred to as 'God's Territory'." He winced slightly, despite being a high-class devil by the system, he was still a devil and was thus hit by pain with the mention of God's name. He saw a similar reaction on the part of the redhead across from him.

"Ah, sorry about that. Due to devils being intrinsically creatures of shadow and darkness, the mention of the Almighty's name causes us pain as he is, quite literally, our anti-thesis, or bane if you will. This ties into why we cannot simply return humans to life, they are His chosen creation, they were given the Power of Free Will- and yes, I capitalized that -while devils are pretty much the remnants, the children, of the first one to truly oppose Him. Due to that opposition, we cannot tread into His domain to create life through any means save natural procreation. This, however, also led to a low birth rate for devil kind due to that very same opposing nature, or as a kind of reprimand toward the original Devil for screwing things up so badly."

He stopped to take a sip from his own cup, "Am I going too fast? Or is there something you need clarified?"

Pyrrha shook her head to gather her thoughts, "So basically, you are unable to create new human life because _He_ won't let you?"

Naruto sweatdropped, "That's … an oversimplified version, but not wholly inaccurate. The fact remains that it is, simply put, not something we are permitted, and therefore we had to find a work-around." He held up his free hand and his King piece was projected as an image above it for a moment, "that is where the Evil Pieces come in."

He saw her deadpan stare and shrugged and dropped the projection, "I didn't name them, so don't blame me for how bad it sounds. Originally turning someone into a devil required a long, involved, and exceedingly powerful ritual. That is what was used to change me, if you were curious."

Her sudden gobsmacked expression caused Naruto to laugh a little. "Oh, yes, I wasn't born a devil any more than you were, Pyrrha-chan. I, too, was changed, but the method used on me was a bit… cruder. The Pieces have a few bonuses that I don't get, one of which is an auto-formatting of the brain to be able to deal with the increased hormone levels that devils produce. While we don't have a high birth rate, that has apparently not stopped us from getting it on with any number of creatures over our 'illustrious' history."

Pyrrha's blush made a fierce return, and then increased as she noticed the bulge in Naruto's pants as he obviously willed himself back into control.

 **XxXxXxXx – Meanwhile**

Rias Gremory was bored out of her cotton-picking mind! She was watching what had previously been one of her favorite animes, only to discover that with the repeated watching it no longer held the same allure for her as it once did. She still loved things about the show, the animation style, the basic story line, and many of the characters and concepts, but ever since she had become Naruto-sama's Bishop it just seemed to become... lacklustre. Where once she could happily spend her entire day doing nothing but relax and watch her shows, she now found herself analyzing just about everything _in_ them!

 _Truly this is my greatest hell._ Rias thought to herself as she wandered the halls of the Asmodai Mansion. _I wonder if this is how some geniuses feel? No real effort put into understanding a particular subject, instead just_ having _that information practically handed to you on a silver platter, all wrapped up in a pretty bow called logic. As if it is simply natural to understand that subject, but without the ability to really put it into words of just how you know._

Rias sighed despondently, pausing to look out a window she was passing as she muttered to herself, "If that's how it is, I both sympathize and pity them."

"Pity who now?"

Rias turned around to see Naruto-sama's Knight, Aayla Secure she thought the name was, approaching her. For a brief moment Rias stared enviously at the way the older woman moved; lithe, subtle grace with a determination and self-assurance that the young redhead wanted desperately. Aayla may not have been the most well-endowed member of Naruto-sama's peerage- a brief flicker of Tier appeared in Rias' thoughts –but the unconscious confidence and the earnest way she spoke made the blue-skinned woman shine with a beauty that even other women would readily acknowledge as attractive.

Rias gave a wry grin at being caught unawares. "Geniuses, I can't help but wonder if the way I now view my animes is at all similar to how they simply seem to grasp whatever subject is thrust at them."

"Ah," a world of understanding was in that simple sound as Aayla sent the girl an approving smile. "I suppose that it is similar, if what I've heard of your new mental conditioning is accurate."

"If it clears it up any, my new ability seems to be based around logical conclusions on what I'm viewing." Rias explained, "taking in what I can see, and I already know of a person's character, and predicting a general line of events."

The twi'lek hummed in thought. "It sounds much like what one of my teachers used to do in battle. Magnus Tholme was one of the Jedi Order's best lightsaber masters, and he used to tell me that much of it dealt with observing his opponent and acting accordingly. He apparently was so good at this that he didn't even need the Force to help him predict many of the future events he became entangled in."

The ten year old redhead nodded, "Yes, that sounds pretty close. But with all the information that passes through my mind in an instant, there's just too much about it that remains vague for me to try really try to describe it much more."

Aayla nodded, "I do understand. I am the same way with my own lightsabers. In the heat of the moment, be it in battle or not, I am accustomed to trusting my instincts and Master Tholme often told me that I was naturally using what had taken him decades to learn."

She paused for a moment then smiled and laughed in fond memory. "He was quite put out with me for that, as I recall."

Rias giggled at the mental image of an old man with an aggrieved expression. Somehow she could just imagine it, the old teacher shaking his head in stunned disbelief as he watched Aayla manage something in minutes that had taken _him_ such a long time to master.

"Of course, I was something of a brat when I was about your age," Aayla continued in a conspiratorial manner. "So I may have tried rubbing his face in it a little... then he promptly showed me how a master used the technique."

The twi'lek ran a hand over one of her lekku in a sheepish gesture, "I think I may still have the bruises."

Rias' giggle changed to an all-out laugh at the incongruous image of a bratty Aayla. It was just so different from the usual calm and professional, yet friendly, stance the woman had that Rias couldn't help herself. And somehow it made her feel so much better, as if by knowing that this utterly self-confident and capable woman was once not so perfect, Rias' sense of herself was corrected.

Soon enough Aayla's laugh had joined her young new friend's, and the two of them stood at the window giggling together. In Rias' mind it was a relief to know that even with her new ability from Naruto-sama she could most likely be either wrong or trounced- and she was effectively still a child -, while for Aayla it was a bonding moment as she hadn't had much chance to speak with the young girl.

Aayla, upon her awakening in her new room in the mansion, had pretty much just seamlessly slipped into a routine of training her body to its new speed, and training her mind to understand her new universe, which was apparently separated into multiple parallel dimensions. To add to that madness there was something of a cold war going on between three factions, one of which she now represented by default. She had shaken her head and wryly agreed with something her new King had told her; "somewhere in the middle" indeed!

Unknown to each other, both females shook themselves internally to reset their thoughts, yet they retained their good mood. Rias smiled widely at her fellow peerage member and gave her a quick hug.

"I think I'm going to find Naruto-sama and see what he's doing... and hope it's not more practise against Sebas," Rias said brightly, "but maybe later we could hang out some more and get to know each other better?"

Aayla smiled gently at the earnest girl and nodded, "I'd like that. Until later, Rias."

The young redhead gave Aayla another quick hug and then dashed off in a random direction.

Aayla figured it was probably a good thing that they had been in a junction point of hallways or the girl could have really hurt herself. With a shake of her head the twi'lek continued on to her original destination: the library. There was never truly an end to what you could learn.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto cleared his throat, "getting back on topic. You can see now why I could not just return you to your world as a human, yes?" Getting a hesitant nod, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, because I'm not really too far in my studies on devil history, and that's all I've got right now. As to your nakedness, that has to do with where we met, the in-between."

Pyrrha gained a confused look and Naruto hastened on. "The in-between is neither one world nor another, but quite literally the space between the worlds of a particular universe. Our in-between is called the Dimensional Gap, yours was just where your world's reaper of souls stashed people it wasn't supposed to deal with yet."

Her expression changed to one of distress, and a look of remembrance crossed her eyes as he nodded. "Yes, Pyrrha-chan, what I said was truth; you were dead in your world, before your time, but your body was reduced to ashes, there was nothing to use to reconstitute you. I was, once again quite literally, speaking with your soul. I held your soul as you unburdened yourself to me. The only reason you were clothed there, with weapons, was because your very soul recognized that outfit as appropriate to be wearing. As a result, though, when the Pawns were used they didn't have a physical body to change, so they had to pull in material from both your old world and myself to constitute a new body for your soul to inhabit. Which doesn't technically count toward creating life, as it's more of transmigrating the soul instead of outright creation of a new person."

He paused and put one finger to his chin as he said hesitantly, "I'm not sure if that contact with your soul had any other possible side effects, though, but I admit that I'm having a very difficult time forcing myself to not push you down and ravish you. Whether that's just due to the increased hormones that my brain isn't quite equipped to deal with yet, or the contact with your soul, I don't know."

Pyrrha blushed heavily, and tried to hide it behind her cup. Her hips squirmed almost imperceptibly as she felt the heat rush through her entire body.

 _If I understand it right, then at least part of these feelings could be artificial. He said it himself, he pretty much made a deal with my soul, which means that the bonding he spoke of at the time would be soul-deep. That could have the unintentional side effect of attracting me more strongly than normal._

When Pyrrha shared these thoughts, Naruto sat back in his couch and gave them a great deal of consideration. It was possible, more than possible, that by forming the contract with her disembodied soul it had created a kind of pseudo-soulbond between them. He would have to see if there was any kind of precedent for this situation in the histories.

He coughed into a fist and said nervously, "Well, let's not jump to any conclusions. We'll just have to let this play out and get to know each other as we would normally otherwise, beginning as friends and seeing if there is more to go on from there. Sound good to you?"

Pyrrha smiled gently, it seemed her instincts weren't wrong after all. "Yes, that sounds fine, Naruto."

Naruto returned her smile, and felt another shot of lustful longing burst through him, He clamped it down and shoved it away. He _would not_ force himself on any woman, he wasn't a rapist!

"Next question?"

"What about going back as I am?"

Naruto was shaking his head before she finished. "I'm not going to say it's impossible, but the moment you do something as a devil, such as call on your magic, the rejection phenomenon would begin and you'd be kicked right out."

"Rejection phenomenon?"

"Yes," he blew out an explosive breath. "Because we are devils, there are few worlds out there that will allow us to operate within them. Devils, as a real race, are fairly rare in the multi-verse, and as such have almost no support for their existence outside of this one. Demons and other forms of Yokai don't count, nor do people who are simply called devils because of their evil natures."

He shook his head, "getting back on track, as long as I didn't do anything with my powers as a devil, I could, theoretically, remain in another universe indefinitely. However, the moment I try to use my powers, such as attempting to reincarnate someone with a Piece, that universe will recognize me as an existence it doesn't support, and reject my presence."

Pyrrha frowned, "is that what I felt tugging at you at that time? It seemed like something was trying to drag you away, so I had to hold on tighter so you wouldn't leave me. And what about this world?"

Naruto nodded, "yes, that would most likely have been the rejection. I managed to hold on, but only because in the in-between the rejection is slower to grow in strength, and I was pushing it away myself. I wouldn't have lasted much longer, honestly. Despite the insane amount of magic I have, I'm still fairly unpractised with its use. But, now that your world knows me, I doubt I could return. As for this world, we're in a universe that pretty much accepts and supports all types of existence, so there's no rejection here."

Pyrrha blinked, "that's right, you said you're a new devil, too. How long have you been one?"

"About… four months."

The redhead sweatdropped. "Four months? And you can already 'push away' a rejection of your existence?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, "yeah, the theory is relatively simple, it's the amount of power needed, and the skill to focus it while doing something else; like comforting a distraught teen girl."

Pyrrha tried to hide her increasing blush behind her cup again. Okay, he won that one hands down. There was nothing she could really say about how he saved her after all, especially when he was only marginally more acquainted with these abilities than she was.

Clearing her throat to try and steady her voice, Pyrrha moved on to her next question, "what about my armour weapons? As much as I would like some peace, I also take pride in my skills, and without my personal weapons I'll be of limited effectiveness."

Naruto hummed in thought, "that's a good point, but unfortunately our world doesn't have that kind of weapons technology, so building you a new variable weapon like what I saw you with is going to prove difficult."

He paused for a moment, then added thoughtfully, "Unless the Malachite sisters and Yugao were able to retrieve your weapons along with everything else I asked them to see about grabbing."

"Malachite sisters?" Pyrrha blinked, "Yugao? Who?"

"Ah, two of them are from your world as well," Naruto explained. "A set of twin sisters who dress in opposite colors of white/cyan and black/red, apparently they used to work as security for a night club. Surprisingly enough they were taken from your world a few centuries ago by my devil father and his wife, and were the only pieces the lady used in her life. Yet when the alert in the system I had set up went off, it showed your world pretty much as they remembered it when they left. Yugao is a human from my world that I sent along on a hunch."

There were others from her world? Wait, he asked them to get things?

"And the other things you asked them to get?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing much," Naruto dismissed with a wave of his hand. "The sisters had already told me about the variable weapons of your world, and when they confirmed that my pieces were reacting from within it I asked them to procure a few extra parts so I could get some of my people to look into the feasibility of reverse engineering them. Nothing major, of course, and if you wish I'll keep the technology strictly within the Asmodai household…?"

Pyrrha nodded gratefully in response to his implied question. While every good Hunter and Huntress carried the blueprints for their weapons in their heads for maintenance purposes, she didn't want to be the one to introduce a form of technology that another world wasn't ready for, even if it was just the ability to shift one compatible weapon into another.(2)Who could know the possible backlash such a thing could do? It may not be a very powerful thing, but the sheer versatility could change so much!

Naruto made a gesture of acceptance, "Very well, if they manage their task I will expend every effort to keep it within this house. And before you ask!" He said, holding his hand out in a stopping motion as he saw he mouth open, "I sent the sisters precisely because they were originally from your world. I'm still studying the effects of the rejection phenomenon, so I'm not entirely certain they couldn't return. As for sending Yugao, my hunch was that as a pure human she'd be the least likely to encounter rejection."

Pyrrha smiled and took a sip of her drink. "How long until you expect to hear something?"

He shrugged, "I don't rightly know. The Malachite sisters spent a few months in my world looking for me, and apparently years traversing other worlds trying to find someone to take up the mantle of Asmodai, so they have experience I lack. And Yugao is the cautious type... for the most part. Unless someone really pisses her off things should be fine."

Naruto smiled brightly, shifting subtly on his couch so as to not let Pyrrha see the still-very-much-there bulge in his pants. It was getting harder to stop himself, and he silently cursed his natural attraction to intelligent women. It seemed that his attraction to them was even stronger if they had red hair. That base combination was what first got him to really notice his old teammate, Haruno Sakura, and spend years as her personal punching bag.

Which in hindsight was hardly a healthy idea. In point of fact Naruto had to wonder if her didn't lose more than a few brain cells in the process. Considering that Sakura's preferred target was his head, he felt it may very well be a safe assumption.

Now he was sitting across from another red-haired, intelligent woman, and this one had a damn nice body to go with those smarts, plus the physical skills necessary to keep it in shape despite the fact that Naruto had as yet to see a fat devil. A quadruple whammy like that, compounded by the fact that she _wasn't_ hitting him for his sometimes lecherous expressions and thoughts, was sending so much testosterone through his system he had to wonder if it hadn't completely replaced his blood.

 _I'm beginning to think I should have become an ascetic monk or something! I've been acquainted with Pyrrha for only a few days and I already want to rip her clothes off and ravage her until she can't move! Damned devil hormones! When will I become accustomed to these things?!_

It was at that moment that the door opened, and in flew a redheaded ball of energy that latched right onto Pyrrha. A couple moments of blinking revealed the ball of energy to be Rias, who had Pyrrha's waist in a death-grip hug and was beaming a giant overjoyed smile up at the older redhead. Unfortunately for Naruto, Rias had not decided to go with her usual long dark blue skirt that she wore around the house to compliment her choice of black turtleneck sweater. Instead she had her sweater and a green-and-red plaid pleated mini-skirt. This meant that with her current awkward position of bending over Pyrrha's lap on her knees, that Rias' choice of lacy black panties was made abundantly obvious to the suffering Naruto, whose sight turned to the flash of nearly bare bottom as a matter of course.

The course being that he was a healthy, _living_ , and extremely hormonal male, and he was going to instinctively look at any portion of the female anatomy he could get a glimpse of. The fact that Rias was hardly proportioned like the ten year-olds he was familiar with certainly did not help matters. He usually didn't see curves like hers until a girl was around fifteen, which meant that Rias shouldn't have them for another five years.

This meant that in essence Naruto was looking at a scene almost straight out of a hentai manga with lesbian sisters. With the consideration that the two females had pretty much the exact same shade of red for their hair, and a certain similarity of facial features, Naruto would almost have sworn that Pyrrha and Rias were some kind of long-lost siblings.

 _...Oh. My. Gawd._ *Wince* _This is sooo not helping keep my libido under control! I mean, I know she's only ten, but these damned hormones won't let me reason them away!_

In that moment she was no longer the ten year old Rias. To his mind's eye-and probably his subconscious self was assisting-she was a sultry and nubile fifteen year old girl with all the right curves. It was sinful, it was _perfect_...

Then she spoke, her voice still the high pitch of a child, and reality came crashing back down on him.

"Yay! I've always wanted an older sister! And she looks the part, too!"

Pyrrha wasn't sure on what do, but a strangled "excuse me?" made it through her current surprised state.

Naruto's own words were rather strangled as he said, "Well it looks like I should let you two get acquainted. Good luck, Pyrrha-chan, and see ya!"

He needed to get away before he did something he would regret. He could barely believe that his body would react to the young _Rias_ like that! Fleeing was the only option now.

"No! Wait! Naruto!" Pyrrha's pleas fell on deaf ears as Naruto vanished in a burst of gold light, leaving the two redheads alone.

Glancing down, Pyrrha nervously smiled, "So... I'm Pyrrha Nikos."

"I'm Rias Gremory, and now you can be my new big sister! We even have the same hair colour! It'll be awesome!" Rias replied in a chipper voice while grinning evilly internally. Double score! Flustered Naruto-sama into running away _and_ made the newbie uncomfortable!

 _... Though with that hair I'd be surprised if Sirzechs-nii-sama doesn't claim her as family, too!_

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto was running, his magic stopping Time all around him so he could flee the temptations behind him. He wasn't thinking about where to go, just the need to get some place safe, somewhere to get rid of his problem.

He would later thank his asshole of a subconscious for directing his path.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Tier was swimming. It had become something of a hobby of hers, and the multiple large indoor pools- of many different varieties -enabled her to indulge herself. At first it was the simple act of submerging her body in water that she had not summoned or controlled in any way, the sensation of the way she slipped through it.

The feeling was indescribable! The smoothness of the water caressing her form, washing away her troubles, few though they were.

Then it became a reprieve from some of the stronger emotions she would feel from Naruto-sama. The water acting to wash away her worries for him, and to cool her own ardour that was rising steadily by the day. The feelings she got through the one-way empathic bond, his lust, his love, his care, his determination. His fear, his anger, his sometimes barely-held-at-bay murderous intent; All of them were powerful and new to the former Hollow, and they quite often left her breathless in reaction.

Tier had no doubts that most of what she felt on a daily basis from him were due to his devil hormones trying to get his still half-human mind to submit to the desires of his body. But every time she thought he might let loose, that he might give in, she felt an unbending iron will force it all to recede. It was those moments more than anything that showed the former Espada that he was a man worth following. She knew that her old boss would have most likely indulged himself several times over if the urge ever hit him. So actively feeling her new leader's determination to never take what was not given freely, was inspiring to her.

Not that she wouldn't have given him her body if he'd asked. He just didn't ask, and she wasn't really the type of woman to offer herself as just a relief. She may not have the same thoughts about physical intimacy as a human might, but she had begun to feel the wish to be desired for more than just what her body could give. She was starting to wonder if there was anything about her as a person that would tempt a man like her King, because it was already to the point that she wouldn't mind sharing him if it meant being more than just his servant. She didn't even care if nothing really came of it, she just wanted...

Now, though, there was that new redheaded girl about his own age, and his lusts were skyrocketing, sometimes beyond what he had previously controlled, and it made the blonde woman rethink her ideas. Tier could only guess that the nearness of apparent age was the reason his hormones were hitting him so much harder since that girl was brought in, and the level of lust was almost unbearably strong. This was what had led to her current session in the pool.

Tier pulled herself up on the edge, then out of the water completely, letting the remainder of what clung to her form and swimsuit slide off. Her white backless one-piece was drenched to the point of near transparency and highlighted her spectacular figure with its deep V-line and full-neck collar. It was otherwise a simple racer's competition swimsuit, but she liked it; for two reasons. The first being that she was hardly body-shy, and knew that she had a highly desirable body, and as such she felt no need to really hide it. The second was that it fit her body like a glove, even going so far as to conform to the exact shape of her breasts without losing any of the material, as if it was made exclusively for her body.(3)

After exiting the pool, Tier went to one of the large jacuzzis and sat down to try and relax. Too bad it didn't seem to be helping her already overheating body. Though the heat was internal and caused by the feelings of lust she was receiving from, and unknowing for, Naruto, not the hot water.

Today's flashes seemed to be even more intense than yesterday's. Maybe the girl had woken up? Tier already knew from just being in the same room as her Naruto-sama that he found intelligence to be an incredible turn-on, and merely talking with a beautiful woman that showed a high level of intelligence would cause his lust to peak.

Her hands began to quest to her covered nipples and clit in an effort to relieve herself, maybe if she vented some of the lust she was feeling it would become easier to handle? It couldn't hurt to try it, though it would be her first attempt at such a thing...

A sudden burst of golden radiance surprised Tier momentarily. When she recognized Naruto, she relaxed minutely, forgetting for the moment just what she was wearing and what she was doing. Then she felt something off about him, the link between them, running straight from him to her, was sending her enough lust that before she knew what was happening she had her lips planted squarely on his.

When the two of them finally broke apart enough to breathe, Tier realized a few things that she hadn't noticed before. Namely that it _felt good_ to be held tightly to a man's body like this, that he was the same height as she was, and that his touch was inflaming her new passions to levels she hadn't thought possible even with what she had been feeling from him over the past few months. Another thing she noticed was that his hands were firmly cupping her ass, and she was actually relishing the contact. Her own hands were cupped against his face, and her arms were trapped between their bodies.

Panting heavily Tier tied speaking, "Naruto-sama, wha-?"

He swiftly kissed her again, but this time she felt more than just lust in it. He pulled away after a few moments, "I'm sorry, Tier-chan. I don't know why I came here, I was trying for my room to cool off, but instead I saw you, in the pool, with your swimsuit askew and you obviously trying to relieve yourself, my mind blanked."

She smiled at him gently. Tier could hear in his voice the lust she could feel through the bond, it gave him a husky tone that sent shivers of anticipation up her spine, and she initiated the next kiss herself.

"It's perfectly fine, Naruto-sama. In fact, I was even thinking about you," she admitted as they came up for air again.

His eyes widened and hope blossomed inside him, "then, you don't mind if we...?"

"If my body can be of use to you, Naruto-sama, I want you to use it." Tier said softly, but sincerely enough to cause his member to twitch strongly. She didn't want to just be used for relief, but she didn't want her new master to drive himself into something rash because of her either. She would much rather have him use her, and perhaps have something form from that contact, than other possible bad ends to occur.

"I don't want to force you-"

"You are not." She said clearly, "I swore to myself when I accepted your queen piece, that I would do anything it took to see you rise and become a man worthy of following with all of my soul. Now you are troubled by these hormones and the lustful emotions they cause, so I gladly will let you use me-"

"You aren't a tool, Tier-chan!" Naruto interrupted, his lust momentarily taking a backseat to his indignation. "I don't want to _use_ you like that! I don't want whatever may come of this kind of thing to be because of some kind of duty! It'd be different if you wanted it-"

She kissed him hard, silencing his protests. Idly she thought all of this interrupting each other was getting tiresome, but at least he wasn't trying to deny what she could feel he wanted when she was kissing him like this. And quite frankly, by this point she wanted it too much to stop either, but she realized that she would have to convince him of her genuine desire. After all, unlike her, _he_ couldn't feel her emotions.

When she finally let him breathe again, Tier stated calmly, if a tad breathless, "I never once thought I was just a tool for you, Naruto-sama. You are the only man I would do this with." She blushed heavily, "Despite never having done something like this before, I do want it to be with you. You are my master, my King, but most importantly you have been my friend and companion when I was most in need. It is fitting that I allow you to be my first true experience in this matter, and I would honestly have it no other way."

Her hands moved to wrap around his neck loosely, "and if nothing comes of us doing this, then so be it. I will at least be able to say I gave it everything I have."

He nodded, his doubts silenced beneath her words, actions, and fresh wave of desire. This was a woman who knew what she wanted, and she said she wanted him. So he would give her what she wanted, after all he had promised to never betray her or leave her.

Both the old Uzumaki Naruto and the new Naruto Asmodai were men of their word.

Tier kissed him again, and this time she let her body do the thinking, her instinct to guide it, and just let herself revel in the feelings she both felt from herself and those she received from from her Naruto-sama. Joy, wonder, lust, embarrassment, hope, pride, fun... and she dared to believe that one emotion, hidden among the others yet overriding them, was even love. It was clear to her that he had a fair amount of practice, he seemed to delight in finding every way that existed to force pure pleasure from her body. If Tier was to be completely honest after everything was done, she would say that he could probably determine the reactions of her body better than she could. And when he took her, her mind was so enraptured in the emotions flowing through her that she never noticed the pain of losing her maidenhood, no matter if she even had one or not.

Days seemed to pass in Tier's wavering consciousness, filled with everything she evoked from her new lover, a man that she determined not to lose, for by the time they finished, she was certain that last hidden yet overriding emotion was his love. Love not just for her, but for all of his people, and she allowed herself to be swallowed up in the sensation of it all. She couldn't even tell if she was screaming or not.

In her soul, Tier knew she would never look back, never be with another man, and that she would do anything to make his days as filled with joy and contentment as he had filled hers. Even if she had to make him a harem of women to deal with his ungodly stamina in the bedroom. She had no intention of ever feeling empty, _hollow_ , again.

For his own part Naruto felt fiercely the emotions he sent unknowingly to his queen, and a relief so profound he could not fathom its depths. She was hot and tight, and her skin was salty and delicious, her mouth likewise was a savoury flavor that permeated what little thought was left to him as he abandoned himself to his lusts and spent them on this wonderful creature in his arms. He was ignorant of everything but the pleasures he could feel himself and sense he gave to his partner.

It was an act that had been forbidden to Angels, this base yet utterly fulfilling thing. Perhaps that was part of the reason why the children of the original Lucifer chose to engage in it so wantonly in their history. Perhaps it was an unconscious effort to separate themselves from their Holy counterparts, the Angels who had God's love without question and basked in His presence eternally while the devils had only their very mortal desires.

Who could know? Not Naruto. He also didn't care at the moment. The pools, the other people in the mansion, the outside world, he registered nothing in his new desire to give back to the woman in his arms every bit of devotion she had shown him in the past few months, even if nothing else ever came of it.

And when they finished, just before slipping into the deep sleep of the sexually sated, Tier had one last thought occur to her oversexed mind.

 _Since when was there a bed in the pool area?_

 **XxXxXxXx**

"We'll have so much fun! We can have pillow fights, do eachother's make up, help choose eachother's outfits, braid eachother's hair Maybe even do some lesbian experiments."

Rias' energetic voice, and spontaneously rubbing head ground to a halt at a strangled noise from Pyrrha's throat. Looking up the young redhead saw her new fellow member of Naruto-sama's peerage turning as red as her hair. The absolutely comical expression of wide eyes and slightly repulsed expression on the older redhead reduced Rias to hysterical giggles.

"Oh! Your face! Your face! I couldn't resist!"

While Rias rolled on the floor laughing her as off, Pyrrha took the opportunity to realize she'd been pranked and to cool her blushes. She silently vowed vengeance upon the over-developed girl rolling on the floor, Pyrrha may not be much of a prankster by nature, but she'd be damned if she let the girl get away with this. Especially since she could almost swear she heard the moans of a woman in the throes of passion, which when combined with her body's reaction to Naruto just made her mind drop deeper into the gutter.

Needless to say, but Pyrrha had a very difficult time cooling off.

A knock at the door brought both of them back to reality.

Pyrrha cleared her throat and called out as firmly as she could, which she noted with pride only included a slight breaking of her voice, "Come in."

The door opened to admit someone that Pyrrha would not have considered possible. Female, definitely, but blue skin, and two tentacle-like things instead of hair. The newcomer was dressed in some kind of leather outfit that the redhead was certain would be useful while hunting, and sported a small smile.

"Rias, I thought I'd come find you, instead of waiting for later," the blue-skinned woman paused upon seeing Pyrrha. "Oh, I'm sorry, I hadn't realized you were awake yet. You must be our new member. I am Aayla Secura, former Jedi Master of the Jedi Order of my world, now the Knight to my Master, Naruto Asmodai."

Aayla nudged Rias, who was still on the floor, with her foot. "Come now, young one, it is only polite to introduce yourself."

Rias raised an eyebrow, "What makes you think I haven't?"

Aayla just gave her a small knowing smile. Rias pouted, and sat up so she could cross her arms under her impressive bust, just so the look was completed properly. A stare down ensued.

"Oh, alright." The young girl finally capitulated, "I'm Rias Gremory, former heiress of the Gremory house of devils here in the Underworld, now I am the Bishop to Lord Naruto Asmodai."

Pyrrha smiled, and rose to shake hands with the strangely beautiful woman. "Pyrrha Nikos, formerly a First-year student of Beacon Academy in the world of Remnant, now the Pawn of my new friend, Naruto Asmodai."

"We know of you, Pyrrha Nikos," two new voices sounded out from the doorway. Turning their attention to the open door, Pyrrha saw two maids in opposing white/cyan and black/red colour schemes.

 _These must be the Malachite sisters that Naruto mentioned._

The one in white continued speaking, "You used to be called the Invincible Girl due to your undefeated streaks in the Mistral tournaments multiple years running. We are maids in the service of the Asmodai family, I am Melanie Malachite, and this is my twin sister, Militia."

 _Well, that confirms who they are_ , Pyrrha thought as she went to ask, "I thought Naruto had sent you two on a mission? He mentioned something about sending you two and a woman named Yugao?"

Militia nodded, "yes, and we have just recently completed our mission. Yugao has gone to show the proof of her labours to Lord Naruto, while we have come to finalize our portion."

The twins dropped two stacks of items on the couch recently vacated by their lord, and Pyrrha smiled widely. Her arms and armour, the very things she wore in that in-between realm as a soul, and a couple changes of clothes from what she could only guess came straight out of her room in Beacon.

"My weapons and armour."

Melanie nodded, "yes, this was our task. To find your weapons, and perhaps a copy of your armour for you to use in the battles to come. While the House of Asmodai is fairly peaceful, there are always chances for something to happen. Lord Naruto felt you should be properly prepared."

Militia picked up where her sister left off with a wry grin. "I'm just glad you kept a spare set of your armour in your room."

Pyrrha picked among the articles on the couch until she found something she normally didn't do without, her circlet. It was a simple bronze affair with some interesting curving designs to it, but it was all she had to remember her mother by. The sheer amount of sentimental value alone brought a tear of joy to her eye as she put it back in place on her head.

Melanie looked her over critically, and then glanced at the armour and weapons. "You might want to see about upgrading those. Bronze is a tough material, but there are things here that will quite easily shred it like wet tissues."

Pyrrha looked thoughtful, then shrugged. "I'll have to think about it."

Rias chose that moment to interrupt by wrapping one arm around each of the twins, and exclaiming with a wide smile, "Girl Night! You two are definitely coming!"

Melanie and Militia looked at the younger girl in horror, then said in concert, "No, please... Not again."

Pyrrha and Aayla just looked confused. It couldn't be that bad, right?

 **XxXxXxXx - Ending Notes**

1- Shuto: while I am unsure about the spelling, this is the outside of your hand along the palm, directly along your hand from the base of your pinkie finger. It is possibly the toughest muscle in the human body and is used by martial art practitioners as the point of contact when using an open-hand defence. I am uncertain as to many other martial arts, but I know this is true in my own style of Isshin-Ryu karate.

2- Compatible weapons: I am going on the premise that the variable weapons have to be at least somewhat compatible in form to make changing work, A javelin-rifle-combo like Pyrrha's is relatively similar in weapon length, as an example. A scythe-sniper like Ruby's not-so-little toy is also fairly compatible due to the fact that a scythe has the shaft necessary to be used as a sniper's barrel... I realize this argument breaks down when introduced to something like Magnahild, Nora's weapon, but I ain't gonna be using that so *blows raspberry*!

3- Tier's swimsuit: … why do I think I have just inspired a new set of wet fantasies for many of my readers? Though as far as I'm aware this particular suit doesn't actually exist. More's the pity.

 **So, a harem has been decided on. Yes, yes, those of you who asked about it can go ahead and have your little victory dance now. No, none of you are going to guess how many or just who is all in it. Deal with it.** **It's going to remain small, and no, I won't be taking suggestions.**

~Dreaming of the Phoenix


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 01.

 **Chapter 09: First Times, Upgrades, So That's What They Do, and Oops?**

Tier Harribel, former Number Three of Aizen Sousuke's Espada, did not want to wake up. She was warm, her pillow was pleasingly hard yet yielding, her body tingled pleasantly, and most importantly she was unconsciously revelling in the feeling of being emotionally filled for the first time in her recollection. In short, she was more comfortable than she ever had been before, and she wished to enjoy it more.

Tier had regained a state of semi-consciousness a little time ago, her tired, sleepy, and sated mind idly taking in a few details while she worked up the courage to rouse fully. She knew she was lying in the crook of her master's arm, it was his chest she was using as a pillow. She figured that they had moved to a bed sometime during their lovemaking, she could feel the bed beneath her and the sheets covering them. She would bet anything that her body was tingling in the remembered sensations her first lover invoked her, she could still feel what she assumed was his seed hot inside of her.

Yet the greatest feeling to her current state of mind was the feeling of being full of her master's-and lover's-emotions. In her time as an Espada- no, in her time as a Hollow, Tier had become used to the fact that she didn't really have emotions. She had, in fact, resigned herself to it. But now her new master, a young man only just on the cusp of adulthood, had filled her empty heart and soul with his own emotions, and in the process had seemingly awakened her own.

For the first time in her entire existence, Tier Harribel, former Tres Espada, Queen of Naruto Asmodai, was _happy_. It was a unique experience for her, and it brought a sleepy smile to her lips as she snuggled into her lover's chest.

 _Now that I've found this, there's no way I'm letting go, but I don't think I can be selfish enough to keep him purely to myself…_

Tier thought as she shifted slightly, only to be hit suddenly by a soreness in lower reaches, and frowned.

 _Well, there's that and I doubt I can fully satisfy his needs… going to need some help with that… I know Albedo would be happy to join, but I wonder if I could get some of the others...I know he'll need to wed at some point to produce a legitimate heir, though I guess any child of his that contains his devil blood could take up the mantle like he did..._

Her sleepy smile widened. _I won't have to give him up, and I don't mind the idea of sharing him. Yes, I can make this work._

With that thought in her mind Tier snuggled a little harder into her lover's chest, her leg intertwining with his as it brushed against another...

Tier blinked and opened her eyes fully to stare across at a head of purple hair. It seemed that at some point Yugao had joined her and Naruto.

The blonde woman shrugged slightly and closed her eyes again.

 _Looks like I'll be getting practice at sharing him already._

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto looked around, took in the surrounding black, a spot of light with two chairs, and sighed. He remembered this place, how could he not? It was the absolute deepest part of his mindscape where his subconscious resided. He'd only been this deep once before, and it had not been a pleasant experience.

"So, are you finally going to acknowledge that I was right?"

The blonde sighed heavily as a sarcastic voice echoed around him. If nothing else he knew he and his subconscious both had a flair for the dramatic. So, in keeping with the sense of drama, instead of answering he merely sat in one of the chairs and assumed an air of civil authority, much as he had seen from Sirzechs during Gressen's funeral.

"I'm going to assume you want to talk, so let's talk."

A blonde man stepped out of the surrounding darkness, clothed in black shinobi garb from ancient times, his long spiky hair pulled into a wild mane of a ponytail like what Jiraiya once sported. A fox-themed mask hung from his right hip, while a silver whirlpool sat on top of a golden Asmodai insignia over his left breast. The man's facial features were no surprise to Naruto, he saw them every time he looked in a mirror. The only real differences were the somewhat more pronounced whisker marks and the slitted red eyes, reminiscent of what Naruto thought he looked like under the influence of Kurama's chakra.

Naruto remembered asking about those the last time he had met this bugger, his subconscious had looked at him like was an idiot and then explained in a patronizing tone that because he was the more primal part of Naruto he was therefore more in tune with the primal aspects of the fox, thus the eyes and whiskers and more liberal yet simplistic approach to things like sex. In short, his subconscious knew what it wanted, much like the fox, and as such the two resonated strongly enough to influence each other to a degree.

"I want to hear you say I was right before we talk about anything." Red-eyes said seriously, his voice a soft husky tone that Naruto just knew would probably drive women wild with desire.

Naruto raised one eyebrow. "Right about what?"

Red-eyes snorted as he sat in the other chair. "About what? About everything, of course. That Jiraiya was dead, that nothing that happened to Konoha was our fault. Hell, that Tier and probably others want us as much as we want them. Granted," he continued with one hand p to forestall an interruption, "the reasons may very well be different on each side, but can you honestly tell me I was wrong?"

Naruto scowled, "no, which is part of the problem. We are more than our base desires, you know this as well as I do. That moment we spent admiring Rias' ass was too much, man. She's ten!"

Red-eyes shrugged. "Doesn't look ten, though."

"That isn't the point!" Naruto snapped. "Sure, we could probably easily raise her into perhaps the perfect sex slave, but you know as well as I do that that is _not_ the kind of thing we want in our partners."

Red-eyes sighed, "Alright, I'll give you that one. We want intelligent and willing, I'll admit that. I'll even admit that we want women who will look past our problems and money-and everything else-to love us for who we are, even ad divided as we are at the moment."

"Exactly! Staring at Rias like that is not what we want," Naruto said firmly. "If she comes to us in five or so years, when she's of age as a devil, then that's fine. We're only four years her elder after all."

Red-eyes held up a hand, "Alright, I'll work harder on keeping some of those new devil things under control, but was I not right about the rest of it?"

"You were," Naruto admitted grudgingly. "Jiraiya's death, Konoha's destruction, even Haku's death those years ago. None of it was our fault, and I'll not try to carry the guilt anymore, but it will remain part of the reason for our determination. Agreed?"

Red-eyes smiled in a feral manner, "agreed."

"Asshole."

"P-R Manager."

"Fuck you!"

"No thanks, I'd rather have another round or twenty with Tier."

"... True."

"You're welcome by the way," Red-eyes said smugly as he buffed the nails of one hand on his chest.

"For what?" Naruto asked warily.

"For directing your flight path to Tier," his opposite replied as if it should have been obvious. "Unlike you, I know when a woman wants something from us. I've been seeing little signs for weeks now that she was trying to get us interested in her."

Naruto blinked, then sighed in resignation. This was going to become insufferable at this rate. Then a thought crossed his mind.

"Wait, what about that pseudo-bond with Pyrrha?"

Red-eyes blinked. "Oh, that? Nothing much really. All it seems to be doing at the moment is increasing your level of attraction to each other a little bit. Just things like reminding you of how much we like the colour red, and that her hair is a particularly fine shade of it. Things like that."

"So... no emotional pushing?"

Red-eyes snorted. "If I wasn't going to allow you to manipulated by the shit-stains in Konoha, I sure as hell ain't gonna allow you to be emotionally manipulated by something as insignificant as this minor bonding."

Naruto raise his brow again. "Yet you allowed the devil hormones."

Another snort, "because they were on the primal level, and therefore in my purview. By the way, Albedo's coming around more and more. Won't be long until she wants to join the bed action."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto waved him off. He'd deal with Albedo when it came to a head. "The bond, though?"

Red-eyes sighed, "that thing's on the spiritual level, so it's a beyond my individual purview, but it's not a true soulbond. Doesn't have the same kind of kick, ya know? A true bonding of souls wouldn't let you ever get her out of your head, and if you ever tried do something with another person it would act up like no one's business and make you _both_ feel wretched. The fact that you don't feel like an absolute ass..."

He left it hanging, and Naruto picked up quickly enough, "... means that while we are more aware of what we find attractive in each other, it's not going to otherwise interfere. Right?"

"Bingo!"

Naruto shook his head. Well if nothing else that excited reply just served to reassure him that both he and the man across from him are indeed simply two halves of a whole. Clearing his throat, Naruto got Red-eyes' attention.

"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about? I imagine I'll have quite a bit to catch up on when we wake up."

Red-eyes shrugged, "Not really. I mostly just needed to confirm that you finally understood that our new _physical_ instincts are now having a very real _psychological_ effect on us, and that they're going to be a pain to try and hold back until we have formulated how to deal with them properly."

"... Dammit," Naruto snarled suddenly, his grip on the armrests tightening. "I _so_ did not need this bullshit!"

"Tell me something we _don't_ know!" Red-eyes snorted.

The two halves of one young man joined together in one thing at that moment: a sarcastically wry chuckle.

As the laughter died, Naruto relaxed back into his chair for a moment before standing and turning to stride back into the blackness, a hand waving over his shoulder. "Ah, well. As long as I don't suddenly find myself attracted to loli's I should be able to deal somehow."

Watching his other half walk off, Red-eyes found himself smiling. "On that, we agree, brother."

 **XxXxXxXx**

"So... you stole his gun?"

 **"** **Yup."**

No hesitation, no remorse, Yugao's reply was quick and to the point. Naruto found it both reassuring and annoying at the same time. The fact that at least one thing in his life was fairly static, even if it as Yugao's attitude of "if it's done, it's done and there's nothing to do now but roll with it".

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat on one of the ever-present couches that seemed to populate every freaking room in the mansion. He had awoken to the sensation of two female bodies in the bed with him, one of which was obviously pregnant and familiar. Naturally that one was familiar, he'd been sharing a bed with her and the other soon-to-be mother for months now, so of course he'd recognize Yugao's presence and form beside him.

Now he was getting Yugao's report, and it was just a little too much for him to calmly deal with, hence his need to rub the bridge of his nose while he tried to take it all in.

"Okay, one last time, just so I can be sure I have it right," Naruto started, his voice heavy with weariness and disbelief. "I asked you to nab weapons blueprints, and parts-"

"Yes."

"-of which you succeeded admirably, leaving the results of your collecting on the armoury workbench-"

"Indeed."

"-after intuitively knowing that our newest member would want to see just what you had all managed to pilfer-"

"M-hm."

"-But in the last few minutes before you ditched the world, you decided to see how things were going, and got pissed off at a man called General Ironwood-"

"You're on a roll, Naruto-kun." Yugao said with a peck to his cheek.

"-So once the enemy was pretty much beaten, you stole his gun while he wasn't looking, and vamoosed back here-"

"Ja Vul! Mein Commendant!"*(1)

*Wince*"-where you readily jumped into bed with Tier and me due to not really seeing a difference between sharing with her and sharing with Konan. Did I miss anything?"

The purple haired woman adopted a thinking pose with one finger to her pursed lips, then cheerfully declared, "No, you seem to have finally gotten the gist of it."

Naruto sighed and shook his head, a laugh erupting from his throat at her incorrigible attitude. It really was nice to have something static in his life. Otherwise he might lose what little grasp on his relative sanity he still had.

He leaned back into the couch and rested his arms on the back. As his laughter rounded down he noted the pleased smile on both women's faces. After four months with Yugao and Konan, he would readily admit to himself that he was most likely in love with them, and quite possibly with Tier as well. Rias was too young for his tastes yet, but he didn't doubt that with enough time he'd fall for her, too. Just as he knew he was already falling for Pyrrha.

The only one he could say that still felt more like a servant or sibling was Aayla. Which was perfectly fine, really. It gave him a grounded centre so he didn't start thinking that his peerage was just a legal method of getting a harem. His hormones may scream against it, but Naruto didn't care.

 _Thinking of my peerage... four pieces down-technically five-and they're all women. Will I ever get another man in this group? I'm outnumbered here, dammit!_

"Alright," Naruto said, regaining control of himself. "I'll show everything to Pyrrha-chan and leave her to make a catalogue of things."

He grimaced, "Then I suppose I should sign those last few papers for Tiamat and send them to her in the human world. Then I should deal with those two catgirl sisters..." Naruto groaned, "And beyond that I need to see if Lord Furfur is going to be pissed that I killed that shit-face son of his. Wonder if I could get Kurama to come with me and scare the man into submission..."

Yugao sweatdropped at the musings of her lover, friend, and leader. He was her Hokage with the destruction of Konoha, and now he was the head of a high ranking devil house, but every so often he still showed signs of the boy he used to be. It was both endearing and worrisome, and Yugao knew it was part of his charm that was drawing her in ever further.

Tier, on the other hand, just smiled. Her master and lover would do as he felt he needed, all to protect those who had put their trust and faith in him. And she would happily follow him, love him, for as long he let her.

 **XxXxXxXx**

A knock on his office door roused Naruto some hours later. Looking up from his work, namely trying to figure out how to handle Lord Furfur, Naruto saw Sebas open the door for a surprise guest.

"Beelzebub-sama!" Naruto exclaimed as he moved to stand, but was waved off. He cocked his head inquisitively, "This is certainly a surprise. What brings you here?"

The green haired man sat lazily in a chair and steepled his fingers together. "I finally managed to crack the codes on your Evil Pieces. In doing so I realized I made a mistake in terming them as 'non-mutated'. The knights more than the others are very much mutated, and powerfully so."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "what do you mean?"

Ajuka shook his head to clear his thoughts. "You already know about your queen and bishops-hows that going, by the way?"

Naruto smiled, "pretty good. Tier seems to be finally understanding her own emotions, and Rias has recently learned that even with the insight and perception training I had in the academy she can still be just a kid."

Ajuka nodded with a satisfied smile, "that's good." Then his expression became serious, "Naruto, I cannot stress how important your knight pieces are. I had thought the unicorn shape was just a representation of something pure about you, but even I couldn't have guessed just what it was. You remember of course that devils have a problem with Light and Holy magics, right?"

Naruto nodded, "naturally. It was one of the first things that Albedo and Gressen explained to me."

"Your knights impart your former human resistance to those same Light and Holy magics."

A few minutes passed in stunned silence as Naruto digested what was said. It wasn't supposed to be possible. Devils and Light, or Holy, did not mix. It was such a powerful rejection that it actually _burned_ and _poisoned_ them. It was one of the absolute rules of this universe. It was the Angel's and Fallen Angel's greatest weapon against devils, and what forced devils to live in small pockets in the human world, or in the Underworld for their own safety and protection. Humans did not have that problem.

Then there was the comment about Holy magic. That particular variant of magic typically manifested in physical weapons like the original four Holy Swords: Excalibur, Caliburn, Ascalon, and Durandal. The slightest scratch of a Holy Sword was utterly fatal to a devil. Predominantly because it was believed that the Holy element was perhaps the purest form of Light magic to exist, and devils were characterized as beings of darkness. Once again, humans did not have that weakness.

If knowledge of what his Knights could do got out...

... It could restart the Great War with his Knights in the vanguard.

Then Ajuka broke the silence. "Of course I don't mean it's perfect protection. If stabbed by a spear of light, your knight will still be pierced and bleed, even die if the wound is fatal enough. But there's no risk of them getting burned or poisoned by Light energy, nor instantly killed by the mere touch of a Holy weapon."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. "But still, best to keep it quiet."

"Indeed." Ajuka then brightened, "On a more positive note, your rooks and pawns are much easier, and far less trouble."

"Oh?"

"Yes," the green haired Maou exclaimed excitedly. "The rooks will grant a level of regeneration that is usually only seen in the healing process used in the aftermath of a Rating Game."

Naruto's eyebrow was back up. "You're going to have to explain that one. I haven't really gotten that far in my studies yet."

"Of course," Ajuka said with a magnanimous air. "Rating Games quite often have people being defeated by rather dangerous or fatal injuries. To safeguard against that new healing spells were created, ones I am quite proud to say my cousin created. These spells are automatically cast on retreating members to insure a zero fatality rate in the games. Haven't had a decapitation yet, save for some members of Phenex, but they don't count for that. Damned buggers can't actually die, so feh!"

The blonde nodded, absorbing the information. _Can't actually die, eh? Sounds like a challenge... nah, probably best I don't rise to that one._

"And the pawns?" Naruto prompted.

"Well, I mentioned that it would most likely be something you were innately proud of, didn't I?"

"Ye~s," Naruto drew out the word warily.

"So, what were you most proud of before becoming a devil?"

The blonde narrowed his eyes as he thought. It took him a few moments, there were so many things he had been proud of in his short life so far. But he supposed one thing stood out above the rest.

"If I had to say it, I think it would be my natural endurance, my ability to just keep going when I need to."

"And so it is with your pawns," Ajuka confirmed with a grin. "The pieces impart a portion of your own ability to endure; pain, fatigue, boredom, whatever. Like you, they will endure past what was once their limit."

Naruto snorted. "Yeah, that's gonna get abused by them. I was already a hardy little stain as a kid, that only got better, or worse depending on who you ask, as I got older. And if what I know of my current Pawn is any indication, she's gonna enjoy that extra stamina."

"Oh?" Ajuka waggled his eyebrows suggestively, "she's going to 'enjoy' it, eh?"

The young Asmodai's eye twitched. It seemed that the Beelzebub Maou had a thing for bad innuendo now. It was enough of an attitude switch that Naruto found himself quoting an old friend of his.

"How troublesome."

Ajuka laughed.

 **XxXxXxXx**

"So, it's been a few days, have you decided on what you want to do?"

His second meeting of the day, this one fully expected because he had set it. Tier stood in her accustomed position just behind his chair and to his right, while Aayla had managed to tear herself from her training to stand in her place to his left. Across from him, occupying two chairs, were the two catgirls, who were apparently a very rare sub-species of the nakomata race of youkai called Nekoshou. Or so he had been told by Albedo a few minutes prior to this meeting.

He had to admit the two girls cleaned up well from the filth-covered things they had been. The younger of the two-Shirone, wasn't it?-looked adorable in a fresh white dress with gold trim that brought out the innocent purity of a young child, and like any such child she was swinging her legs and humming while sitting in the slightly too-tall chair.

Her elder sister, though, damn was she keeping to the name theme. Kuroka, the "black child" indeed! A black kimono with red trim and gold floral pattern now adorned her voluptuous form, her surprisingly long hair styled into two rings and left to otherwise flow down her back in one long wave.

Kuroka shrugged a bit. "Not really, nya~. I mean, we can't go home, that guy burned it down. And if we just go wandering we leave ourselves open to someone else like him. Right now the safest place for us is probably right here."

Naruto wasn't sure he liked where this was going. The conversation had only been a few moments, and already he could feel his devil hormones reacting to the unconscious sultry attitude and tone Kuroka was using. Granted, at fifteen she was legal by Underworld standards, so long as she was consenting of course, but that wasn't really the point in his mind. He had _just_ started up something with Tier, and he wanted to enjoy it for a bit before it all went to Hell in a hand basket.

 _Still find it funny that this universe's Hell is a different place than the Underworld... maybe I should pay a visit to Hades some time, see how he's doing. Gotta be getting bored with little more than watching the passage of mortal souls through his realm._

He could already feel the headache forming from when Tier would want to talk to him alone, probably to convince him that he needed a harem to help keep his new biological-powerful biological-needs in check. The small smile curving onto Kuroka's full lips was certainly not helping that forming headache to go away either.

"So I figured we could just enter your employ!" The black haired nekoshou said enthusiastically. "That would keep us out of greedy hands like that Furfur moron, and give us a new place to call home."

She paused for a moment to let a sly look slide onto her face, "Besides, Shirone-chan has already made friends with that little redheaded bishop of yours. It's too delicious of an opportunity to pass up to embarrass them with all the future highjinks they might get up to."

Naruto shook his in amusement. Well at least she hadn't-

"And I'm more than willing to help 'warm your bed at night', or even join your peerage in _whatever_ capacity you want me." Kuroka continued with a suggestive wink.

Naruto deadpanned at her. _Damn her, she knows exactly what she does to males! Probably able to smell it. But she ought to realize that you never try to prank a prankster!_

"Unfortunately for your last suggestion, I have a system in place to choose potential peerage members from other worlds and walks of life." Naruto tried to sound disappointed and sympathetic, he really did, but a smirk formed on his face anyway. "I'm afraid that the only real openings among my staff at the moment are with the maids, and Shirone is too young for me to put her to work like that. You, on the other hand..."

Kuroka got a sinking feeling in her gut, and a worried frown started to form.

"Well, I'll be the first to admit that the maid uniforms here aren't really flattering, but since you asked to become an employee, you'll just have to make do." Naruto smiled gently, as if genuinely happy to help out a poor lost soul... only to spoil the image a moment later when he added, "oh, I do expect all of my employees to get a proper education. So a portion of your wages will be deducted for your, and Shirone's, schooling."

Kuroka gaped in stunned disbelief even as two sets of hands grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her off to get fitted for her new uniform. As soon as the door closed behind the retreating forms of the now three maids, Naruto couldn't hold in a laugh and began guffawing. Surprisingly he was joined by the gentle giggles of Aayla, the husky chuckles of Tier, and even the enthusiastic tittering of little Shirone.

Seemed like everyone got a good laugh out of seeing Kuroka's dumbstruck expression.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto was once again in an office, but this time it wasn't his. This office belonged to the captain of the local town's Guard, or police as it was more commonly referred to. The captain was a man of indeterminate years, being a devil does have it perks, with dark eyes and white streaks in his otherwise close-cropped black hair. He wore his dark grey uniform with the air of a man long accustomed to his authority, and took it seriously. A true veteran, the kind of man one instantly trusts and respects simply because you know he won't leave you behind.

With him Naruto had brought Aayla and Pyrrha as his guards, partly because Demiurge and Albedo insisted he have some kind of protection, and partly because it would help Pyrrha in her adjusting to being not only in a new world but a devil.

Sitting back in his chair Naruto asked, "So, Captain Kirahe(2), I don't suppose Kurama was able to get anything coherent from our little bird?"

The captain snorted, "coherent? Damn near got the bugger's life story from conception on!" He shook his head in what Naruto could only assume was a kind of awed amusement, "I don't suppose I could borrow Kurama from you on occasion? That fox of yours almost made _me_ wet myself!"

Pyrrha cocked her head inquisitively, "Kurama? I don't think I've met that one yet."

Kirahe raised an eyebrow at the girl, then glanced at Naruto who nodded. Ah, new devil, they all went through a questioning phase. She'd get over it eventually.

Naruto smiled and chuckled, "I'm sure he could be persuaded to assist you with some of the harder cases, and Pyrrha, you aren't going to meet Kurama until you stop jumping at things. But I'm mostly interested in what our bird had to say about that little insurrection attempt."

Kirahe frowned as Pyrrha fought back a pout, "about that, apparently he was paid to make the attempt. A rather pathetic amount at that. Honestly, if someone was to try and get me to do that kind of job I'd hold out for no less than ten times what he was paid, and I'd want that as the down payment instead of the full sum."

Naruto's expression deepened in thought, "Dare I hope that he gave up the name of his employer?"

The captain was shaking his head before the question was done, but not in denial. "Damnedest thing, sir, but the birdbrain actually _volunteered_ that information. Seems he was led to believe the job would be easy, and that you were a, and I quote, 'upstart of a fool with no idea what you are talking about', end quote."

The young man's eyes widened a little, and he deadpanned, "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

Kirahe shook his head, "Unfortunately, young Master, I'm not. Does the name Riser Phenex ring a bell?"

Naruto's hand met his face in a gesture as old as human stupidity. "What is that jackass thinking? I could have sworn he had learned his lesson about pissing me off," he grimaced as his hand dropped onto the armrest. "Apparently I overestimated his intelligence."

"Um, who is this Riser?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly, not sure if she really wanted the answer.

Naruto glanced at her, "I'm surprised Rias didn't tell you about it at that little slumber party last night. The incident involved her a fair amount after all."

Pyrrha mutely shook her head, partly because Rias hadn't said anything of the sort, and to focus past the aforementioned party. That party wouldn't have been so bad in her opinion, if not for the fact that she had no idea what was going on at the time. The younger redhead had been practically everywhere, braiding hair, choosing cute nightclothes for everyone, inviting a few of the maids and a couple of cat-themed girls, braiding hair, painting nails, showing off an obscenely large collection of stuffed toys and animated TV shows, and just generally running circles around them all, all night.

Naruto just shrugged, and went on to explain. "Well the short version is that Riser used to be Rias' fiance, until she joined my peerage. The betrothal agreement between their two families was set for the heir of Gremory and a scion of Phenex. When she joined my peerage, she essentially left her house and position behind, and was then disqualified from participating in the contract. Then Lord and Lady Phenex decided to test me on how much I understood what I had done, and to see if they could get something out of me."

The blonde smirked somewhat evilly, sending a shiver of something- Pyrrha wasn't sure what -up the girl's spine. "I'll admit I played them a little bit there. They brought Riser with them, and I purposely goaded him into screwing over his parent's careful arguments."

"Not that they really seemed to mind very much," Naruto admitted thoughtfully, "but I'm fairly sure that was just to save what face they could."

Kirahe cleared his throat to bring matters back to what was at hand. "Yes, well... whatever their reasons, it appears Riser was punished rather severely for his words and actions. For one thing his peerage was removed from him, what members he had were transferred to other forms of employment with the Phenex."

Naruto whistled lowly, "that's painful, both to his pride and physically. As far as I know the only way to remove a peerage is to remove the King piece, and once bonded that's gonna hurt."

The captain nodded, "so I've heard."

The blonde considered it for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction. "Considering the kind of guy he is, that seems like an appropriate punishment."

"Oh, it didn't end there, young Master," Kirahe said seriously.

Aayla and Naruto raised eyebrows, while Pyrrha played catch-up by looking a file a passing Guard member handed her. Apparently the incidents regarding both Rias' escape from Riser and the subsequent meeting's results were highly popular topics, with a surplus of rumors running around alongside the known facts. Why were the facts known? Simple, Naruto had to submit a copy of his official statement taking Rias in as his Bishop and promoting the new participants of the contract; namely Ravel Phenex and the recently born Millicas Gremory.

"What else happened?"

Kirahe shrugged, "I'm not sure if it's connected, but Riser was disallowed from the family fortune. In other words, unless he either gets a loan or a job, he's flat broke."

Aayla blinked. _So his "personal harem" was taken away, and so was his money. Then how is he behind this fallen angel?_

Pyrrha looked up from the file she was reading, eyes wide and blinking. _From what I've r_ _e_ _ad so far, that's a pretty fair punishment… but why does it feel like I'm still missing something?_

Naruto blinked, then smirked. "Well, as unexpected as it may be, that's going to bring some laughs from Rias later. But how was he able to hire… wait, you said 'unless he gets a loan', right?"

Kirahe nodded, a pleased smile on his face. "Indeed. It seems Riser managed to get one of his old friends to lend him the wherewithal to hire our feathered friend."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "did our birdbrain happen to know who the true mastermind is?"

"That's the damnedest thing, both Riser and this other person met with him in _person_ , Riser to convcice him your were a threat to the way of life in the Underworld, and- get this, the man who funded it? Diodora Astaroth."

Naruto dragged one hand down his face in disbelief, "Captain, I'm begging you, tell me that's just a bad joke."

"Wish I could, sir." Kirahe shook his head. "Without a doubt this is the ballsiest, and probably the stupidest, on the incredibly long list of dumb shit he's done."

"Do we even want to know?" Aayla asked warily.

"No."

The twi'lek woman nodded and lapsed into silence, content in the idea that if the man answered that readily then he was probably right and she didn't want to know. Things generally worked out that way. If the person who already knew something says that you don't want to know, then it's a good chance that you don't want to know.

Kirahe gave a look of respect. All too often when someone higher up the food chain was told that they didn't want to know something, they'd force the issue to try and prove their ability to handle it. Only once they knew they usually ended up regretting doing so. He'd seen it happen often, and only the former Lord Gressen had proven him wrong to date.

Naruto just raised his brow again. "I'll get the abbreviated list from you later. Considering that Diodora's still in the position of heir to his House, I may need that knowledge to force some humility down his throat. Even though this is technically an act of war, I'd rather not destabilize the Underworld more than it is."

The captain's respect for his new lord grew. The lad figured he didn't _want_ to know, but realized that he may very well _need_ to know. It wasn't idle curiosity, nor was vainglorious boasting, but rather a simple statement of fact and determination to do as little damage as necessary to get the job done.

Naruto shook his head to clear it of miscellaneous thoughts. "Anything else I need to know?"

Kirahe thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I shouldn't think so."

The young Asmodai nodded in satisfaction, and stood up. His two companions for the trip flanking him as he made his way out.

"I'll expect the summarized report in no more than a week, Captain."

"Yes, sir."

 **XxXxXxXx**

The following day Naruto sent out a written request for an audience with Lord Furfur, simply saying that he had come across some information regarding a former member of the man's House. He received a reply within the day saying:

" _The House of Furfur does not recognize any who may or may not have once been members of this House. We do, however, thank the Lord of Asmodai for his assistance in culling this nuisance who dared to claim our name._

" _Lord Jakki of Furfur."_

"Huh," Naruto muttered softly as he read the letter again. "Hey, Aayla, what do you make of this?"

The twi'lek woman took the page and gave it due consideration. "This is not the kind of response we were expecting. It almost sounds relieved that you killed that young man and saved Lord Furfur the trouble."

Naruto steepled his fingers together on his desk. "That was the impression I got as well. It seems that the former fifth son was well and truly snubbed by his family."

"To the point they consider it a relief that you killed him. I have to wonder what kind of antics he was up to for this kind of response?"

Naruto made a disgusted face, "I don't think we really want to know."

"Probably not," she agreed, "but it would shed some light on things even devils find reprehensible."

"True." He admitted, "it's probably a short list, but true."

He read the reply again, then sighed and put it away in his desk with a shake of his head. "On a lighter topic," Naruto said teasingly, "how was that Girl's Night with Rias and whoever she could dragoon into it?"

Aayla made a face, one with enough nuances that Naruto stopped trying to read it beyond amusement. "It was certainly... interesting. She tried to braid my lekku... had to tell her that they aren't my people's version of hair."

She glanced at her master, "did you know that? These tendrils on a twi'lek are actually much like an animal's tail in that they are extremely sensitive to touch and the elements. Most Twi'lek keep them covered in some form, like this headpiece of mine."

Naruto had a thoughtful expression. _I wonder if that means the sensitivity is near that of the nipple... not gonna ask. Might get pounded, or lightsabered._

Instead of voicing his thoughts he said, "I just thought that was part of your personal fashion statement."

"Well, you aren't wrong," she admitted.

"Anything else of interest? I noticed that both you and Pyrrha have been sporting a new paint job on your nails."

Aayla grimaced and glanced at the bright pink and white swirls adorning her fingernails. "I don't know why, but it won't come off. It's been a couple days, and it's still there as bright as ever..."

She stopped as she saw a wary look cross Naruto's face. "What? What is it, Master?"

He rubbed his forehead, "That paint... did Rias perhaps apply a strange unscented clear polish to it from a strangely marked white bottle?"

Aayla blinked and thought back. "Well, yes. But what-?""

Naruto held up a hand, "I do believe that she is starting to try out my old pranking habits. That bottle probably contained an old concoction of mine that was made to mess with my old teacher one day."

Aayla blinked. She thought about it. She nodded decisively. Then she held a glowing blue blade of force-field-bound-plasma to his throat and asked in a false pleasant voice, "And how do we get rid of it, Master?"

He eyed the blade nervously, "Well there are two methods. First off, you could wait a month, it will wear off about then."

She considered that for a moment. So it wasn't meant to be permanent. Like he had said, it was probably from his old pranking days, though how Rias got a hold of it and knew what it was was anyone's guess.

"Too long," she finally decided. That night had brought many of Naruto's female companions closer as friends, and she had seen a kind of sisterly bonding between Rias and Pyrrha, but Aayla didn't really want to keep these horribly tacky nails for an entire month.

Naruto leaned a little back from the overly warm feeling of the lightsaber blade. "Alternatively, you could douse it in a mixture of warm lemon water and rock salt for about ten minutes. Should break it up enough to get rid of it."

Aayla looked startled as she lowered her weapon. "That's it? That's all it takes? I was expecting something more… elaborate."

Her king chuckled and leaned back into his chair. "I mentioned it was a prank, right? Well the prank in question was designed in three layers, or steps if you will. Step One: shave, paint, and coat the offending teacher's head in a bright pastel of colors. Step Two: sit back and revel in his humiliation as the entirety of the village laughed at him. Step Three: Watch in sweet satisfaction as he lost his mind trying to get rid of it without knowing how simple the removal process really was."

Naruto's look turned innocently thoughtful, "as I recall, that particular teacher retired to the Fire Temple monastery and became fairly well known for his sense of humor."

His Knight just looked at him with an indecipherable expression. She just stared at him, obviously struggling internally with something.

"I can't make up my mind whether to think you brilliant, insane, funny, or horrifying evil right now." Aayla finally admitted, "and I'm going to drop it in favor of getting rid of this horrendous paint job. All for the sake of what sanity I have left."

Naruto just smiled benignly as she beat a hasty retreat. After the door closed, he chuckled to himself.

"Oh, don't worry, Aayla. Eventually you'll either join the madness or try to kill me. I actually look forward to which one you choose."

In the hallway, Aayla's fleeing steps were hounded by a maniacal laugh that sent shivers up her spine. She was going to tell the others how to get the stuff off their hands, possibly making it a group task, and then she was going to hide for awhile.

Probably under her bed.

It might not be any safer, but it should make her feel slightly better.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Konan sat comfortably in a couch across from her fellow mother-to-be, Yugao, in the room they shared when they first arrived. While Yugao had taken to switching between sharing Naruto's bed at night and her own, Konan had simply decided that, though Naruto was a nice enough kid, waking up next to a young man that was of an age to her own son was slightly uncomfortable, and thus she had just taken up residence in their original room.

"So, what did you want to talk about, Konan?" Yugao asked, curiosity getting the better of her. She had known the blue haired woman for a little more than four months now, and had discovered an uncommon strain of actual common sense and logic. Yugao wasn't sure if she'd call the other woman a friend yet, but she would certainly give her the respect due a comrade.

"I'm wondering what you intend to do after giving birth," Konan said seriously. "I understand that you will naturally wish to raise the children, but what of your decision in regards to forming a true relationship with Naruto?"

Yugao frowned, this was a topic she had been thinking about off and on since they woke up after the unintentional drugging incident. Should she really pursue something with Naruto, or slowly break off? She knew that she still loved her former lover, a former Konoha jonin named Gekko Hayate, but could she bring herself to love another man?

"Honestly, I don't really see myself in any sort of meaningful relationship with him," she admitted quietly. "Naruto is a good man, and a better lover, but he's also ten years my junior, and my recognized leader. There are conflicts that are bound to occur with all of that on the same plate."

Konan nodded, feeling very pleased with her compatriot. The purple haired woman was no fool, she couldn't be to get into Anbu at the young age she did. Konan had seen the potential problems involved with trying to form a romantic relationship with Naruto, both the ones Yugao had mentioned and others beside. The biggest one being that none of their children should be seen as eligible for the throne of Asmodai. As humans, or half-human in her own case, their children would likewise be human, but more than that both she and Yugao felt as though they should be subservient to Naruto due to their own reasons.

While Konan didn't exactly know Yugao's reasons, she suspected the former Anbu was still bound by Konoha regulations in some way and probably saw Naruto as the new Hokage, which put the swordswoman firmly in his service as a tool for assassinating his enemies and protecting his life above her own. That would easily put paid to any potential romance between the two of them as Konan could easily see that Naruto was the type of man who would die happy if he did so in the protection of those he cared about.

The blue haired woman nodded. "I'm in something of the same boat. I'm not of Konoha, and was originally part of a group dedicated to the destruction of mankind, but in my own way I, too, have sworn an oath of loyalty to him. On top of that, he now has the blood of a powerful devil clan dominant in his body, which will undoubtedly cause him to outlive the both of us."

Yugao was able to read between the lines fairly easily. "And neither of us really feels like becoming devils, even for the prolonged life."

Konan nodded again. "Indeed. I suppose that you'll eventually fade back from being his bedmate into something more like the Anbu again? His personal kunoichi willing to do his bidding while offering your own brand of friendship outside of your duty?"

Yugao thought about it. That did sound like what had been knocking around in her head. After a few minutes of thought, Yugao just shrugged.

"Sounds about right."

Konan just nodded once more, "my own plans are currently somewhat similar. However, instead of becoming his personal assassin I felt that seguing into more of an adviser position would be best for me. Despite the fact that I was an S-ranked threat back in the Nations, I was never really comfortable with fighting on command. But since this would leave me here so much, I figured I would extend an offer to you."

Yugao her eyebrows rise, "what sort of offer?"

"Since I'll be here so much, I thought I might act as a kind of nursemaid for both of our children." Konan said somewhat hesitantly. "I do have the actual qualifications for it, and you'll need an extra set of hands that aren't also wearing a maid outfit if you truly intend to get back out there as an active kunoichi. You'll need the time I can give you to also keep yourself in fighting trim once the babes are born."

Yugao leaned back into her couch, crossed her arms between her distended belly and her bust, and assumed a contemplative look. She examined the offer from every side. Konan was right in saying that she'd need more time than a new mother would otherwise have, but there was also the fact that the other woman would have the chance to form a stronger bond with Yugao's children than she herself might have.

These and more rushed through Yugao's head before she finally came to a decision. Making eye contact with her fellow woman, Yugao said two simple words.

"I accept."

 **XxXxXxXx – Ending Notes**

Alright, a Guest reviewer made a comment about the Familiars, and how Rias already had her bat before Naruto and his group went in the Familiar Forest to get their own Familiars. I will clear this up: Rias had a bat, yes. Now she has TWO, one normal magical bat, and one Devil Bat. What are the differences? Not much, really, save for some aesthetics, and the Devil Bat can turn into weapons for her to use if she needs to. Neither one really needs much power to form a contract with, which is partly why I gave it to her... plus it's kinda cute, and was in keeping with the theme of getting her to stay in touch with the fact she is still a child. I borrowed the Devil Bat from Rosario+Vampire, which is something else I obviously do not own.

1- Ja Vul! Mein Commendant:... okay, my spelling may not be spot on with this, but near as I can tell this is a German phrase meaning "By God, My Commandant!" Partially an ode to one of my favorite shows growing up, and perhaps my favorite character in it. Where would Yugao have learned a German phrase? The same place I did of course.

2- Captain Kirahe: A small ode to one of the lesser-known characters in the Mass Effect series, Major Kirahe of the STG. I figured his basic personality and work ethic would do well as the captain of the guard.

Current Peerage (and Familiars):

King: Naruto Asmodai (Kurama)

Queen: Tier Harribel (Undine)

Bishop: Rias Gremory (Magical Bat, Devil Bat)

Knight: Aayla Secura (Gryphon)

Pawn: Pyrrha Nikos (Undecided)

 **Whoo~! Okay, I'll admit it right now: neither Konan nor Yugao are actually going to be in the harem. They were saved because I liked them, and then used to keep the Uzumaki blood flowing to the next generation of human children. I don't honestly care if you don't like it, it's done commonly enough even in our world *cough*royalty*cough*.**

 **Secondly, yes, Pyrrha's eventual Familiar is currently undecided. I will take suggestions, as long as you people don't go overboard about them. Try and think of something complimentary please.**

 **~Dreaming of the Phoenix**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 01

 **Chapter 10: Adjustments Pt5, The First Rook, and Familiar Madness!**

"Rule One for a Pawn!" Shalltear's voice snapped out as she thrust a strange syringe-like lance at Pyrrha's abdomen. "We get nothing special like the Knight's speed, the Bishop's reserves, or the Rook's strength, so we must work that much harder! We have to be that much better to prove that we are not the throw-aways so many think us to be!"

The small lolita vampire was outfitted in her casual everyday corset, dress, and hoop skirt. While she had admitted that she did have a specialized armour crafted just for her, she wouldn't need it for a sparring session slash training lesson with a brand new Pawn. And she was proving that her faith in her skills was not misplaced.

Not that Naruto, who was seated off to one side at Shalltear's request, ever doubted his father's peerage member. She had cost the old devil all eight of his pawn pieces, and she didn't even have a Sacred Gear which was the usual reason for such a high price. On top of that the blonde was quite well aware of the fact that Shalltear had been an active member of Gressen's team for centuries, and experience was always a key factor in any battle.

Experience was something that Naruto had no doubt the vampire possessed in spades.

Pyrrha was panting hard, sweat pouring off her brow in rivers. She chanced a glance at her shield and saw it was heavily dented, even cracked in some places. She grimaced internally as her attention returned to her new teacher. She recalled the Malachite woman mentioning that Pyrrha's weapons and armour wouldn't stand much of a chance against some of the things found in the Underworld, and this was just driving that home.

 _I guess I'll be looking into upgrading after all,_ she thought wryly as her opponent set herself for another charge.

"Now we'll see how you do under the effect of our Piece," Shalltear said once she had taken up her position. "Naruto-sama, if you would grant her the permission to Promote?"

Naruto nodded. He had gone over the basics of the Evil Pieces with Pyrrha earlier, explaining that either with his permission as King or when she was in what could be considered enemy territory she could change herself temporarily from Pawn setting to that of anything but another King.

"Permission granted."

Pyrrha felt something inside her open, like a closed door that suddenly unlocked. It was both an awe inspiring and mysterious sensation, and she wondered what she should do from there. She had to pick another Piece to Promote to, but which one?

"Second Rule of the Pawn, miss Nikos," Shalltear stated seriously, interrupting the redhead's thoughts, "is that you must never grasp for power beyond your ability to survive and control. Now as new as you are you must avoid trying to Promote to Queen. It has the same boosts as Knight, Bishop, and Rook all wrapped up in one, so it is definitely too much right now."

The young Pawn nodded in understanding. That made sense, if you tried to use too much it would obviously run rampant and hurt either you, that which you held dear, or both. She had seen it happen in her time in Sanctum, she had lost a few of her classmates to power-drain when they tried to go over their limit prematurely. The redhead could only surmise that it was a similar premise.

"So what should I change to? I assume you have a suggestion?" Pyrrha asked curiously, interested in the small vampire's opinion.

Shalltear smirked minutely in satisfaction. Finally a child with intelligence!

"Indeed," she almost purred, "You will wish to try the one other piece you feel fits you the best. One that resonates with your personality."

This would be a crucial moment for the young girl, Shalltear knew. If the girl chose wrong she would still get the power, but there was a hidden side to choosing correctly. All the vampire could do was watch as the girl thought for a minute and then squared her shoulders in preparation for her choice.

"Promotion: Rook!"

A well of power and strength fountained from beneath Pyrrha, shooting an almost orgasmic thrill through her. She couldn't even hear Shalltear's exclamation of satisfaction the feeling was so strong. It seemed to go on forever, but when it finally settled down Pyrrha felt filled with a sense of _right_.

Naruto's jaw dropped. He'd expected any number of things, but not this! His new Pawn was practically glowing with strength and power. He cast his startled gaze to an energetically dancing Shalltear.

"Shalltear," he said with a strained voice. "Explain. Please?"

The vampire settled down and took pity on her master. "It's really quite simple, Naruto-sama. Despite the fact that she was only recognized by two of your Pawns, there was always the chance that she could have been chosen by another Piece. By choosing the correct one she has shown to have a strong understanding of herself. The Rook is far more of a knight than the Knight is in many ways, especially in the personalities they resonate with."

She nodded at the still-ecstatic redhead, "I felt it immediately. She is much like me in that we emphasize the defense of our precious people above ourselves. The Rook is _designed_ to protect. As a Pawn we change to fit our circumstances, but we never get quite the same strength out of a class we don't resonate with. By choosing the Rook she has understood herself as a protector, and will not suffer that same penalty."

Shalltear shrugged and threw him a wry grimace. "It's a hidden fact about the Pawn. The difference between a Promoted Pawn and the real Piece, be it knight or whatever, is usually minimal. This resonance thing? It only occurs with the correct Promotion if it also the first one attempted. If she had tried Knight or Bishop she never would have gained this resonance with the Rook later."

She made a face, "Or rather than a hidden fact, you could call it a glitch in the system. One that I don't doubt Ajuka-sama laughs at regularly."

Naruto facepalmed. He didn't doubt it either. Hell, he wouldn't put it past the man to have put that glitch in there on purpose just to give himself a laugh.

"So this is just a one-time thing?"

Shalltear shook her head. "No, my Lord. Since the girl chose the correct Promotion, she will always gain the full benefits of the Rook when she changes to it. She will, of course, still have the options of Knight, Bishop, or Queen, but none of them will grant her their full ability like the Rook will. Like I said, it's something of a glitch in the system, beyond that I'm not too sure about how it works."

She paused for a moment, then shrugged. "Mostly because I ceased to care beyond that."

Naruto facepalmed again.

The glow around Pyrrha finally died down and she sighed in contentment. "That was… incredible. What was that?"

Shalltear sighed resignedly, and gave the girl the same explanation she just gave Naruto. It wasn't so much that she didn't want to repeat herself, as she had forgotten that during the initial resonance Pyrrha wouldn't really be able to hear anything, but rather that she was annoyed at herself for forgetting that little fact. With an inward shrug, Shalltear guessed she was just caught up in the moment. It wasn't every day that she got to see another Pawn choose correctly after all.

Giving another sigh, the loli vampire gave a dismissive wave. "Alright, we'll go into a bit of practice before we call it for the day. We won't need you tomorrow, Naruto-sama, so it won't interfere with your routine with Sebas."

Naruto just nodded. He could have taken that badly, as an insult, but where would have been the point? It was a simple statement, and he did have a prior deal with Sebas.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Tier Harribel was slightly nervous.

Scratch that. She was extremely nervous. She had purposely chosen this time to talk to the newest member of the peerage about a sensitive subject.

The formation of Naruto-sama's harem.

See? A very sensitive subject. One not to be brought up just willy-nilly in any place or time.

Thus had Tier waited until her Naruto-sama had begun his training with Sebas to speak to the teenage redhead. While she was certain Naruto-sama wouldn't mind her making a harem for him to help keep his hormones under control and in balance, it never hurt to take precautions.

Now she sat across from Pyrrha, sweating imperceptibly. "Nikos-san, do you have an idea as to why I wanted to speak with you?"

Pyrrha shook her head, "I'm afraid not."

Tier nodded slightly, "It is about your obvious attraction to Naruto-sama, and what you think we should do about it."

Pyrrha frowned, slightly worried and disturbed. She hoped this was not the woman's attempt at some form of intervention. "I don't know what you mean. Yes, I will admit I feel some attraction to Naruto, but I also know you are in some kind of relationship beyond being just the queen of his peerage. So I was just going to let it slide and maybe try to find another man..."

The blonde woman was already shaking her head. "That is not what I had in mind at all, Nikos-san."

The teen looked at her with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean, Tier? Please, just be straight about whatever it is that's on your mind."

Tier nodded, took a deep breath, and then plunged forward. "I mean to share Naruto-sama. With both you, and perhaps a few more women."

Pyrrha's expression morphed into pure shock. She barely managed to choke out a surprised, "W-what?"

The older woman looked at her with understanding, and said in a soft voice, "You are aware that there are differences between how we were changed into devils, and the method used on Naruto-sama, correct?" Seeing a cautious nod, Tier asked, "How much do you know?"

Pyrrha frowned, wondering what it had to do with anything. "Honestly not much. There was something about brain formatting, but I didn't quite manage to grasp it. I was still kind of reeling from being alive and everything else on top of that kind of allowed it to slip past me."

Tier nodded, "that is to be expected. I will explain as best I may. The Evil Pieces used on us automatically format our minds to be able to handle the natural pheromone production of a devil's body. Pheromones such as testosterone and estrogen, you understand?" Another cautious nod, "The ritual that Naruto-sama underwent does not do this, as such he is essentially a human in a devil's body. A body that is producing nearly three times the amount of hormones that his former human body did. Due to this his physical needs in the area of sexual interaction are greatly increased, and fighting them can cause him actual pain, both physical and mental."

Pyrrha's mouth formed a large O of understanding. "So you mean that he's pretty much constantly horny and needs sex often or it literally hurts him. Did he put you up to this?"

Tier leveled a piercing gaze at the girl that pinned her in place. "No, he did not. Yes, he requires more frequent release than a human would, but this is not his idea. Naruto-sama does not even know we are talking right now, and I am determined to have this finished before his sparring session with Sebas is done today. This is _my_ plan, Nikos-san, and as much as I would like to have him all to myself, I know it isn't possible to keep up with him. Thus have I determined that a harem is quite possibly the only route I can take to help him keep his sanity."

The redhead's eyebrows shot up incredulously. "His sanity? What do you mean?"

"Do you know how long it took before Naruto-sama took me into his bed?"

Pyrrha shook her head, "No, though I doubt it was very long. You're a beautiful woman, Tier, so I'd guess it was at most a few weeks."

Tier was shaking head before the girl finished again. "Our first time was barely a few days ago, Nikos-san. Naruto-sama had been fighting his new hormones for nearly four months before he couldn't anymore. I know not what, but something occurred that finally bypassed his conscious level of control and forced him to seek me out."

Pyrrha's eyes widened as she flashed back to her conversation with Naruto the day she awoke. He had admitted to her, straight out, that his body and mind weren't in proper balance, and that even before she accepted his Pawn pieces he had found her attractive. As she thought about it, Pyrrha also recalled finding him to be more than merely attractive as well during their time in what he termed the In-Between. She recalled promising to herself that she wouldn't let herself lose out on a chance to be happy, and while she wasn't sure if she'd be happy with Naruto- either sharing him or alone –she also didn't want to not at least try. She certainly wouldn't be bedding him right away, though. She wasn't an easy girl like that, but she also wasn't really comfortable with sharing a bed intimately with another woman, Naruto's own presence be damned.

That thought brought up a strong question in the girl's mind.

Tier just watched as the younger female had her private thoughts. To be perfectly honest, she was having a few of her own. She wouldn't mind having Naruto-sama all to herself, but she wasn't blowing smoke when she said she wouldn't be able to keep up. One night, just one single night, had taught her that. And while Tier would readily admit to being a proud woman, she was also well aware of when one's pride had to be swallowed, and this was one of those times in her opinion.

Tier was startled out of her thoughts by Pyrrha asking, "Suppose I agree to this harem plan of yours, how many more were you thinking, and who?"

The blonde woman shook her head to clear it, returning to the conversation at hand. "Exactly who might join us, I'm uncertain. I had thought about inviting Albedo, but..."

Pyrrha grimaced and nodded. She'd only met the former Crow demon a few times, and while the woman was poised and beautiful, it was also impossible to miss the incredibly unsubtle advances that Albedo threw Naruto's way. Pyrrha was sure that if Albedo ever got laid by a man she was legitimately interested in, then the woman would undoubtedly become worse than a cat in heat. In point of fact Pyrrha's mind readily supplied the term nymphomaniac in regards to the queen of the late Gressen Asmodai.

"I had also considered that new maid, Kuroka I believe her name is? Unfortunately she is of the same sort of problem as Albedo."

The teen's grimace deepened, and she grunted in agreement. That black furred, two-tailed feline had somehow managed to make even the frumpiest of maid outfits into something sinfully sultry. In fact she seemed to flaunt it and had the nerve to flash as much skin as she could get away with, even going so far as to strip some pieces off whenever Naruto was around. In point of fact, it had been discovered recently by Rias, through her new friend Shirone, that Kuroka had dispensed with the wearing of underwear. Pyrrha just knew that if Kuroka ever managed to get into Naruto's bed nothing short of the apocalypse would likely get her out of it again.

"Shalltear was also a candidate, but she has shown absolutely no interest in that regard."

Pyrrha's eyebrow shot up. She had been under the impression that Naruto was practically adored by all of his people, but now that she thought about it Shalltear did seem a little distant with him during training yesterday.

"Of course Aayla was not forgotten either, but once again has shown no such inclinations. Indeed she seems to act more like one would expect of an older sister and mentor."

Pyrrha nodded. She'd seen the strange blue woman and Naruto interact a few times and they looked more like unrelated siblings than potential lovers.

"Naturally I excluded both young Rias and her new friend Shirone. Both are far too young for such things, and it was Naruto's own determination to avoid such a situation that finally drove him to me. I could not, in good conscience, honestly consider either of them. Perhaps in a few years when they have matured and are fully aware of the situation, but certainly not now."

The redheaded Pawn nodded again. At least there wouldn't be any kind of underage stuff going on. She grimaced slightly, at least not outside of the somewhat inappropriate flirting that Rias was already up to. She wouldn't put it past the girl to try and find a way into all of this once she was of legal age.

"I discarded the rest of the maids as well. Naruto-sama has indicated a desire for intelligence, ability, and a certain level independence. They most certainly would defer to his every whim."

Pyrrha frowned again, but thoughtfully. Tier was probably right about the maids. As long-time servants of the Asmodai they would undoubtedly let Naruto do anything to them he wished. That was not the kind of partner she instinctively knew Naruto would want.

Continuing, Tier said, "as to how many, besides ourselves I had thought that perhaps four more could be added easily enough without making it too crowded."

Pyrrha hummed a little. "So in total you're thinking six is a manageable number."(1)

Tier nodded, her firm stance somewhat marred by her familiar half-lidded expression. Those eyes of hers always made her look sleepily serious, as thought at any moment she could either fall asleep on you or start delivering a short lecture that would make you wish your grandmother had walked in on you masturbating instead and decided that it was the perfect time for a discussion about birds and bees. Then the eyes would sharpen and you'd get the uncomfortable sensation that a shark was eyeing you up for dinner, and any previous thoughts would be washed away in the knowledge that this woman was every bit as dangerous as her King in her own way.

Eight wannabe assassins had learned that lesson the hard way over the past few months as she familiarized herself with her new body and abilities to better protect her Naruto-sama. Each one now hid under their beds in the town jail if her name was so much as whispered in their hearing range. Kurama had been impressed enough to take a few notes for future reference, and possible implementation. She wasn't certain if Naruto-sama knew about them, but it didn't make much of a difference in any case. As far as Naruto was concerned, so long as it didn't hurt random innocents then he didn't mind if he was targeted.

Pyrrha thought about things a bit more. Sharing Naruto with five other women could prove complicated, but there was no reason to believe that others would be so swift to join Tier's little harem plan. There were probably few that would consent to such a sharing, and Pyrrha felt that she likely wouldn't have to deal with quite so many.

The redhead raised a finger and met Tier's gaze, "I will agree to a trial run on a few conditions, Tier."

The blonde frowned minutely. This was not unexpected, but it wasn't what she hoped for either. With a sigh she made a motion for the girl to continue.

"First, do not expect me to just jump straight into a sexual relationship with him. While I will agree to share him with you, and up to four others, I will not allow myself to be pushed into something I am not ready for."

Tier nodded. That was not unreasonable. Every relationship had to progress at its own pace, and Pyrrha was only seventeen after all. Plenty of time for the emotions to grow, and sex wasn't the only way to relieve that tension within Naruto-sama. Tier simply enjoyed the sex and the emotions it invoked within both her and her King.

"Second, I refuse to allow anyone into this harem if they do not honestly have romantic feelings for Naruto. Nymphomaniacs like Albedo and Kuroka are prime examples as to why. They'd never leave the bed and nothing would get done around here until Naruto's children were old enough to do it for him."

Another nod from the blonde woman. She agreed wholehearted on that point. Those two especially would gloat like no tomorrow and Tier had no intention of putting up with that. It would be worse than Grimmjow with a bad tooth.

Pyrrha returned the nod and held out her hand to shake on it.

Tier blinked in surprise that she didn't have a third condition- there was always a third condition, right? -then smiled gently and shook the girl's hand. They had an accord.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto woke a few weeks later to two female presences curled up on top of him. By the sensations that were swiftly becoming familiar readily identified the woman on his right as Tier, the other presence was familiar, but not intimately so it couldn't be either of his other usual bed mates. It had been a couple days now since he'd had either Yugao or Konan beside him waking up, and he had to wonder why they were distancing themselves. It was as if they were trying to draw an invisible line between him as a devil and themselves as humans, or hybrids in Konan's case. While it worried him a bit, if it was what they wanted he'd happily let them go their own way. Just so long as he retained the right to see the children every so often.

Normally he might have been worried about his lack of worry, but he didn't feel much like a father-to-be. He felt a great deal more like an expectant uncle or godfather, glad for Yugao and Konan, but ultimately untouched by the whole situation unless the ladies made it his concern. His still slightly sleepy mind chalked it up to his new devil instincts making an attempt to protect his human heart from the eventual fact that not only would he outlive the two women, but also the children they would birth in but a few short months.

Naruto shifted slightly, and froze when he cracked his left eye open. A mass of straight red hair of a shade he found very enticing blocked his view of the person's down-turned face, but that was immaterial as the hair color itself gave him a major clue as to was curled up using the left side of his chest as a pillow. There were only two redheads in the mansion that would have access to his private rooms.

Hell, there were only two redheads in the mansion, and while the body curled up on his left side felt quite… _developed…_ it was too tall to be the younger red-haired girl. Which begged the question in Naruto's now wide awake mind…

What was Pyrrha doing sleeping in his bed? With him? More specifically with him _and_ Tier?! Granted she wasn't naked like he and Tier were, instead having donned what looked to be a black and gold silk nightgown, but still!

His mind began running over the past few weeks at a feverish pace. Pyrrha had been spending more time with him than some of the others, save Tier herself, and asking him questions about himself. He'd been all too pleased that she seemed to want to know more about him, and he'd gladly answered her. She'd even been showing signs he recognized somewhat as being attracted to him, and he'd done nothing to rebuff her, though he wasn't certain that he'd encouraged her either.

Naruto silently admitted to himself that he had enjoyed her attention, even reveled in it to an extent. Much like Tier, Pyrrha was a strong, independent, and intelligent woman who seemed to know what she wanted. The icing to the cake that was Pyrrha Nikos was her natural beauty, which Naruto would fully admit had much to do with her vibrant red hair and friendly personality. He hadn't realized just how much he liked red hair on a woman until he'd met Pyrrha, though Rias had pretty much the exact same shade her age had relegated her away from an attractive status for the most part, that incident where he'd ended up with Tier notwithstanding.

The only real downside that he'd noted was that she seemed to view much of what occurred to her as simply part of her nebulous destiny. As if she had no real choice in the matter, but rather that she would just go along with she presumed was the path she must follow.

That was a train of thought Naruto was doing his utmost to break. Whenever she asked about his previous life in the Elemental Nations, he would purposely choose stories where he'd gone against the grain, against what people had thought him capable of, just to help shake her faith in Fate and Destiny. He barely stifled a chuckle at the memory of her reaction to how he first became a ninja, but it was incredibly funny to see her jaw drop like that.

In her defense it isn't every day that you learn your new boss/love interest was initially seen as little more than an unwanted failure.

Recalling their last conversation, he remembered it being about how he'd lost his right eye. That had been too close of a call in his opinion. While the knife hadn't touched his brain, the poisonous effect of the rust combined with actual poison had managed to damage the tear ducts of that eye. That event, more than much else, had driven home that his sword work was sub-par, the strange double-bladed sword he'd found when he was younger barely managing to keep his opponent off-balance enough to miss the critical strike. While the attack didn't cause a scar, he could never again create tears from that eye.

Naruto shuddered despite the warmth of both the blankets and the two women sharing his bed. He still wasn't certain if his right eye could cry or not, he was still experiencing and researching the extra effects of the ritual that changed him into a devil, but that attack had been far too close for his comfort. Even just recalling the event caused him to sometimes wince at just how close he'd come to death, no matter how blasé he might seem when talking about it. Jiraiya hadn't let him hear the end of it for a month.

His shudder woke his bedmates, however, as Tier leaned up and kissed his cheek, even as Pyrrha just shifted a little to look up at him. The two of them both had slightly worried expressions as the redhead asked what they both were thinking.

"What's wrong?"

"Just remembering," He hedged as his right hand unconsciously moved toward his eye.

Tier looked worried, while Pyrrha looked understanding. They had both heard the story of his lost eye, how the enemy hadn't even cared about Naruto so much as they had wanted to hurt his teacher, Jiraiya, for some kind of past sin. Considering it was Jiraiya this person was after, both women felt certain it had to do with either his spying activities or his perversions against women.

"Though I do have a question," Naruto said, looking at the redhead. "Why are you in my bed with us? Not that I'm complaining, but I am highly curious."

Pyrrha blushed and hid her face in his chest as she mumbled, "I'm trying something new."

The two blondes exchanged questioning glances. "Something new?"

She nodded without raising her face, "sleeping in the same bed with a man that I like as more than a friend."

Naruto blinked in shock, and partial giddiness, missing the self-satisfied smile curling the corners of Tier's lips.

"I'm sorry, I think I had some crazy in my ear," Naruto said, wiggling his left pinkie in his ear. "What's going on?"

"She said she's trying out sharing a bed with a man she likes romantically," Tier supplied helpfully. For once she was glad that the empathic bond didn't go both ways as she was having a hard enough time keeping her face and voice clear of the enjoyment she was feeling at his equal parts dismay and hope.

"What she said," Pyrrha mumbled from her position, her face still hidden in his chest.

"And you're alright with this, Tier-chan?" Naruto asked nervously. Let it not be said that Naruto didn't learn from the mistakes of others, namely Jiraiya and the many beatings that came the man's way when women found out they weren't the only ones in the elder shinobi's life.

"It was my idea, Naruto-sama."

He blinked. "What?"

"I said, it was my idea, Naruto-sama." Tier repeated, her smirk once again tugging at her lips. "Your heart is too big for just one woman to claim, and I know that I will not always be able to satisfy you. As a matter of fact, due to the empathic bond given me by my Piece, I can still feel your heavy amounts of lust barely held at bay. It will take more than just me to satiate your physical needs, and so I approached Miss Nikos about the possibility of sharing you."

"Suffice it to say," Pyrrha interrupted, still not raising her face, "that I agreed, under certain conditions. One being that you and I take our time to make sure it's what we both want, and not simply something forced upon us by outside, or _inside_ , influences."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, but didn't really look confused. "You mean the pseudo-soulbond?"

The redhead finally raised her gaze to meet his. "Yes. I don't know how much that may be affecting me."

Naruto released a breath of relief, and chuckled a little. "Yeah, I had a small conversation with my subconscious- don't give me that look!"

He gave her a halfhearted glare when her face scrunched up in disbelief. "I know how it sounds, but I'm no more crazy than I was before this whole devil business. There are times when I don't necessarily agree with myself, and my subconscious is a bit of an asshole, so I don't really like talking with him that much. However," his gaze softened a little, "the bond isn't doing much to us. It's more nudging us, making the things we like about each other stand out a little more, making us a bit more noticeable. Like highlighting a piece of text, if you will. We could, if we tried, ignore it."

Pyrrha blinked, that was it? She'd expected it to be… more. Maybe like an enforced love spell or something. But a small nudging? A nudging capable of being _ignored_?! She was flabbergasted.

Tier blinked, this was the first she heard of any kind of deeper-than-normal bonding between her lover and his new member. Of course, she hadn't exactly asked Naruto about his sudden deep attraction to the redhead, having considered it more of a private thing. She was his lover after all, not his wife. Though that idea was not unpleasant.

Pyrrha surprised herself by leaning up and kissing Naruto full on the mouth. Surprised him, too, but he returned it quickly enough. It ended too soon for his liking, but when he opened his eyes to see her again, Pyrrha had a radiant smile that took his breath away.

"Well," Pyrrha said breathlessly, "as long as I don't have to worry about that really being an issue, let's give this relationship all we've got, okay?"

Naruto nodded dumbly. Damn but she was beautiful, even more so when smiling. There was that small nudging he'd mentioned, but it was tiny in comparison to the breathless feeling that smile created in him. He couldn't stop his return smile, not even if he'd wanted to.

He leaned down. She leaned up. They met somewhere in the middle. Neither regretted it.

Tier looked on, a subtle feeling of recognizable jealousy rising within her that was ruthlessly squashed. Her plan was working. Her new King simply had too much love, both emotional and physical, for just one woman to try and monopolize it all. She knew it, and she knew that she'd get used to sharing him. Eventually. Pyrrha would be a good start.

 **XxXxXxXx**

"Yo, Brat!"

Naruto was startled out of his practice with his blade as Kurama's voice interrupted him, nearly causing him to gouge his own foot with a low sweep. A yelp of panic and a quick jump to avoid the blade followed by coming to a complete stop upon landing completed the blonde's reaction. Turning to face a small viewing bubble that had Kurama's not-so-subtly snickering features displayed, Naruto gave the unrepentant kitsune a stern stare.

"Yes, partner?"

"As much as I enjoyed watching you nearly mutilate yourself, your mirror's doing its focusing act again."

"Alright, be right there."

Kurama's image smirked, "your new redhead's already here. Says she wants to see you help someone else."

Naruto blinked. "What about her bonding with her new Familiar?"

It took almost a month before Pyrrha was able to go after her own Familiar, and she had not disappointed. The redheaded warrior had returned with a large, magical variety of the nearly extinct red wolf.(2) Practically everywhere she went the wolf followed, seemingly imprinting upon her as its mother. Naruto wasn't certain exactly what was going on with the large canine, but he felt it would fight fiercely to protect Pyrrha and anyone else it saw as part of her pack.

Now, about eight days later, she wanted to go with Naruto on one of his so-called rescue missions? He shrugged it off.

"If she wants to come with, that's fine by me."

 **XxXxXxXx**

 _She knew her world was doomed. They had done everything they could, and had failed. Wars continued to rage between countries, feuds of blood and tears that no man or woman could hope to stem the tide of. Least of all a failure like her._

 _The Goddess of Destruction now ran rampant, unchecked by any sort of fetter. Her counterpart, the Goddess of Peace was nowhere to be seen. The legendary Lehran's Medallion lay shattered in the now cold hands of the two girls thought to be able to restore it's mighty magical prison. Those two girls now dead through the foolishness brought on by mankind's need to fight and destroy and subjugate that which they did not know, and thus feared._

 _Now the red haired woman, a former knight and paladin of the Crimean Royal Army turned Mercenary, watching everything crumble around her to dust. Her hope had died only a few moments ago when the son of the last man she had loved was felled by a great black wyrm of a dragon. Neither the man nor his son had ever accepted her as more than a friend and comrade, but it had not changed that she had put both of them on pedestals. They had been her leaders, the only reason for her to get up in a day had been to aid them with all her strength. A strength that had finally failed the son as it had the man._

 _She sat still upon her heels, her loyal mount dying in the mud beside her, waiting for her death at the fangs and claws of the great black wyrm. She knew it was futile to fight it. She was nothing. Therefore there was nothing she could do for her world anymore. Her once pristine white armor covered in mud and blood, a fitting symbol in her mind of just how mired in war she and her world had become._

 _It wasn't supposed to end like this. Wars were supposed to be done with. Fear, Pain,_ _ **Loss**_ _, all were supposed to have been left in the dust of history._

 _Looking to her left she saw the body of her slowly dying horse, her most loyal companion who had weathered the years with her through good times and bad. To her right she saw the cooling corpses of Oscar, Boyd, and Rolf. Three brothers with very different outlooks on battle, the reasons and attitudes for it. Behind her where the already decaying bodies of three armies, beorc and laguz(3) tribes and counties brought together to fight against a common enemy._

 _That enemy was even now bearing down on her, its enormous form looming menacingly over her. The great dragon looked at her, through her, and its head began to lower..._

"So this is how you die, huh?"

And just like that, a young man's voice seemingly froze everything into place save for herself.

Titania whirled around at the unexpected voice so close to her, knocked out of her morose thoughts and instinctively reaching for her axe. They weren't very old, but then neither had Ike been when he rose to to command the Greil Mercenaries. A young man, maybe in his mid teens, with wild blonde hair, and wearing a strange charcoal colored outfit. His skin was weathered just enough to tell her that he spent a great deal of time outdoors, and there were three whisker-like markings on each of his cheeks. But it was his eyes that caught and held her attention.

Silver flecks on violet stood out with an understanding of pain so deep that Titania wanted to hug him and shield him from what life had already thrown at him. She was stopped, though, by the strength of purpose she saw behind that pain, a strength that took the pain and made itself stronger. They reminded her of her last two leaders, Greil and his son Ike. These were the eyes of someone who had seen despair and hopelessness, and had persevered.

The young man nodded around at the frozen scenery. "You know this is a dream, right? A nightmare born of your insecurities and fears about the potential outcome of this battle against the darkness."

"What do you mean? Who are you?" Titania demanded, her voice strong and strident, belying her surprise.

"Ah, I do apologize, my manners are always slipping." The young man swept into a rather flourished courtly bow. "I am Naruto Asmodai, head of the Asmodai house of Devils. With me is one of my people, Pyrrha Nikos."

Titania looked around and saw a young redheaded girl, maybe a few years older than the blonde, who likewise gave a small bow. Titania studied the girl intently for a moment. As a former member of the Crimean Royal Guard she had trained recruits, and with what she saw in this girl made Titania wish she'd found her years ago. Firm stance, but not rigid. Poised positioning to respond to any kind of threat, but not threatening herself. Tight grip upon that strange spear and shield, but flexible as well. Oh yes, to Titania's practiced this girl was exactly what any weapons instructor would wish for in a student.

The woman returned her attention to the blonde and waved a hand at the frozen surroundings. "You say this is not real? That it represents my insecurities and fears? If that's true, then where are we?"

Naruto smiled gently, "We are in your mind of course. Where else would we be? Specifically, we are witnessing your fear about the future of this world, Titania of the Greil Mercenaries."

Titania tensed minutely. "How do you know my name?"

The younger redhead behind him snorted in mirth. Seeing a questioning eyebrow from the woman, Pyrrha tried to explain. "I'm sorry, it's just that I could swear that was _my_ first question about six or seven weeks ago."

Naruto's smile shifted to amusement, "It's usually at least among the first ones. It doesn't help matters when I just drop their names like that I suppose." He shifted his attention back to the rapidly annoyed-looking older redhead. "I'm sorry, it appears that you missed a part of my introduction. I will repeat: I am Naruto Asmodai, head of the Asmodai house of _Devils_."

Titania's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "You're trying to tell me that you're the devil? The real one?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed. "Not _the_ Devil, _a_ devil. There's quite a few of us, actually. Not as many as there used to be due to a particular war, but that's hardly relevant at the moment. I'm just the newest head of my particular family. Devils are a race, not a singular entity. Much like humans."

The woman stared at him in stupefaction. She stayed like for a few moments while her brain digested what he just told her. Finally she gulped and appeared to at least understand the situation a little better, and hope sprang into her eyes as she swung her gaze to the image of her horse.

"Then-"

"Your horse is not actually dead in the mud and muck of a battle you already won."

Her eyes flew back to him, "What?"

Naruto nodded and waved a hand at the scene around them. "This? This is not real, the battle is a couple days over in point of fact. You and your allies were successful in resealing the beast and evil back into that medallion. Your loyal mount is currently in the stables. A little worse for wear, but nothing that should hinder him going forward."

He gestured to a few of the bodies that actually had some definition to them, proof that it was merely a dream. "Those two girls are sleeping as well, rather adorably sharing the same bed like children. The blue haired young man you followed, is sitting down in the mess hall with a mug of something, still reeling from victory. Those three siblings are sprawled out and sleeping in the same room, the youngest between the other two. The rest of your general party is doing much the same, all sleeping off the near disaster."

Titania stared at him, eyes widening with each statement, and said, "You aren't anything like what I would have thought about a devil. I'd actually expect you to try and throw me deeper into despair."

Naruto sighed heavily, his shoulders drooping. "Yeah, that stereotype is fairly typical." He straightened up and met her gaze, "But lying to you at this point is useless. I don't come from this world of yours, I have methods of viewing other worlds, and with the fact that I want to _recruit_ you to my service… well, a lie like that could be easily found out. Then I'd have a really pissed off woman with new knowledge and abilities after my hide. I'd rather avoid that, _thank you very much_."

Blinking occurred with the eyes of both redheads. Pyrrha hadn't even thought of that. He could have been lying to her, just to get her to go with him. Instead he'd told her the truth upfront, brought her into his inner circle, and now she shared his heart. She found herself falling a little more for this blonde teen. Sure, his stated motivations were less than noble or romantic, but he _was_ only fourteen or fifteen. She could forgive him that. No matter the reasons or motivations, he had saved her life, and given her a new one. A new purpose. She'd thank and love him for that forever.

Titania on the other hand, blurted out her next thought in shock. "This is a _job_ _interview_?"

Naruto grinned mischievously and said, "Pretty much."

"No offense, master Asmodai-"

"-Naruto."

"-master Naruto, then, but I'd prefer to have this kind of conversation _not_ surrounded by this kind of imagery."

"As you wish. Then to assuage your fears, Pyrrha and I will await you in the stables, where your horse is."

"You aren't really here?"

"Yes and no. Your horse was worried for you and allowed us to tap into the bond you share with him to assist in bringing you out of this nightmare. We will see you soon."

With that statement the two teens faded from her sight, and Titania woke up shortly after. She felt reassured by the sudden ache in her ribs and the stone walls around her. She rose and dressed quickly in her leathers and armor, picking up her axe on the way out her door. There may not be a need for them, but she felt naked without them.

She arrived at the stables with little difficulty, her aching ribs supporting an idea of possible breaks and thus making breathing hard, even more so with her breastplate on. She met few people on her journey, the lateness of the night when she looked up at the moon telling her that most would be in bed, resting their injuries from the battle.

Resting, like she should be, but something propelled her toward this meeting. Titania had always trusted her instincts, and they told her this young man, this Naruto Asmodai, would at least be worth listening to.

And there he was, redheaded girl beside him, smiling gently as he brushed his hand along the neck of her white horse. That sight stopped Titania for a moment. As much as she listened to her instincts, she listened to her horse's just as much. He had been with her for many years, far longer than any other pairing of mount and rider outside of the wyverns. His instincts had saved her many times, and those he trusted to get within twenty feet of him were few indeed. Yet he allowed this young man to _touch_ him, something usually reserved for children in their innocence.

Naruto faced her, his smile still gentle, but now it held an awe and reverence that she hadn't seen before even as his hand retracted from her horse. His voice when he spoke now held that same awe and reverence, "Welcome, Titania, your partner has graciously allowed my touch. Even should you refuse my offer, I will count this trip well worth the time and energy. It is not everyday that a devil like myself is allowed to touch a Celestial Charger after all."

Titania blinked, "A _what?_ "

Naruto looked at her surprised. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew. He's what is known as a Celestial Charger, an otherwise mortal horse with blessed fae blood. They live ridiculously long, and are arguably as intelligent as any human. I say arguably, but I'm inclined to believe that they are smarter than most of humans."

"Are you saying that my horse is not a horse?"

"No, I'm saying that he's _more_ than a horse. They are not known to give their loyalty to just anyone, which speaks highly of you."

"And of you, he allowed you to touch him."

Naruto shrugged, "Of necessity. I'm still learning, and to help you I needed to be in physical contact with him. So he made an allowance."

She faced her mount who was looking at with a wisdom she had come to know and expect, "Van?"(4)

The white head bobbed, but then surprisingly he nibbled on Naruto's sleeve in what was unmistakably an affectionate manner. Then he gave what suspiciously sounded like a snicker at the devil's expression of shock.

Naruto shot a wry grin at Titania, "Is he always like this? Proving people wrong for the fun of it?"

"Not really," she replied in bemusement. "Normally he's only this accepting of children. I remember having a dilly of a time getting him to accept me as his rider."

Her expression changed to one of thoughtfulness. "Though with the new information you've given me, I have to wonder if he didn't do that just to test me."

"It would be in keeping with what little I know of the breed," Naruto agreed.

"Little?"

He shrugged, "I'm still studying. Believe it or not, I was human before becoming a devil, so there's a great deal for me to learn still."

Titania blinked and looked over to the girl behind him, "Is that true? He was human?"

Pyrrha nodded, "His eyes used to be a cerulean blue from the pictures I've seen of him. And there was this gaudy faded orange jumpsuit," she eyed his current gray business suit with approval, "which I am quite glad to have not been personal witness to."

"Bite me," Naruto groused. "Why am I the only one to understand the greatness of orange?"

He sighed, "My fashion sense, or lack thereof, when I was younger aside, unfortunately Pyrrha's rather new to my little family. She never knew me as a human. As a matter of fact, I changed her into a devil about… eight weeks ago?"

He looked to Pyrrha and she made a so-so gesture with one hand. "About that. It hasn't quite been two months, so it sounds close enough."

Naruto shrugged again, "I lost track. I've only been at this devil business for about six months now, give or take, and there's been so much to learn..." He winced and held his head, "Okay, note to self: Kage Bunshin memory transfer works even in a different universe. Good to know. Ow."

He blinked, "secondary note: my devil ancestors were assholes. Grandmother especially, that whole Domination of Blood thing she got made her a real nut case."

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow, "this coming from the man who gained Domination of Time."

Titania looked lost, "excuse me, what are you talking about?"

Naruto waved it off, "In short, the most prominent families of devil-kind each have something that sets them apart. The head of the Asmodai family gains a power called 'Domination'. This ability changes from person to person, my devil blood comes from a man who 'Dominated Death', his mother was able to 'Dominate Blood', and so on and so on, et cetera. My ability is the Domination of the concept known as Time. Forward, backward, in the moment, theoretically I could do damn near anything within the realm of Time, but I've only had it for a couple months, so I'm still learning."

The woman's eyes widened, incredulity warring with stupefaction. Her voice was a tad strangled when she finally found it, "And you're telling me this without any kind of reservation, why?"

The blonde teen looked her in the eye, his sincerity showing in his gaze. "Because if I want you to trust me, and potentially join me, I believe it best to be straight with you from the get-go. I'm not looking for subservient soldiers, or slaves, I'm looking for partners and friends, people I can trust my life and secrets with."

Titania rocked back on her heels from his honesty. It was the kind of thing she liked having in her employers, but was incredibly rare to find. Greil was one of the last, his son continued that trend, but she was starting to feel like she was being leaned on too much. She didn't mind being relied on, but there were times that she had been put into untenable situations, surviving only because of her wits, experience, and her now revealed fae-blooded mount.

She closed her eyes and thought. Naruto and Pyrrha remained silent, waiting for her next move. Titania appreciated that, it proved a great deal about the young man's intentions. He was willing to wait, to be patient while she thought through everything. Her hand went unconsciously Van's mane, stroking his neck in a familiar action of reassurance.

Finally, after several minutes of quiet thought, Titania's eyes opened and focused on Naruto. "In the interest of saving a bit of time, and for the sake of argument, let's say I agreed to your job proposal. What would all be involved? You say you come from a different universe, a different realm, how could you take me with you?"

He raised his right hand and a something flickered into existence, floating in place. Titania eyed it warily. It looked like a heavily fortified tower on a mountaintop, all carved from some kind of deep red transparent material. She had no idea what it was, but she knew it was no ordinary piece of art.

"If you should accept, then this Rook, this Evil Piece- don't give me that look. I didn't make it, so I don't get to name it –will change you into a devil, much like myself. A few differences, but those are something that we could always get into later. The job description of a Rook is fairly simple: protect the King and Peerage."

He paused for a moment, and sighed at her expression of dismayed amusement. "Look, does the game of chess exist here?" She nodded, "alright, then. For reasons currently unknown to me these items- and the system they are used in – were based on that game. Obviously I possess the King piece, and all I know it does is to bind those who accept these other pieces into my service. From there it is entirely my purview as to how I treat my people. I am trying to create a group that are friends and partners and comrades-in-arms. As a Rook in this system, your abilities in physical strength and defense will become much greater in order to protect the King- me –and your fellow members- Pyrrha and the others- from things that would bring us harm."

Titania frowned. It wasn't really a bad deal, from what she could currently see.

"A few words of warning, though," Naruto continued, silently cursing himself for his need for honesty. There were times when a lie would probably serve his needs as much as the truth, but it just wasn't in him to bother unless lives were at stake. "To begin with; devils are not anywhere near the top of the supernatural food chain. Not exactly sure where we stand, but I'd bet on somewhere in the middle. Primarily because we have a couple problems, namely the elements of Holy and Light magic, and a distinct issue with sunlight. The first two can kill us, the last weakens us."

The woman blinked. Those were some pretty big problems, and doubtless could be used against them in the future.

"There is one way devil-kind is aware of currently around the problem of Light magic that I am aware of: have a large natural affinity, which is only possible for those of us who were once human."

Titania blinked again. So was that part of why these devils recruited humans? To try and gain some kind of advantage against one of their weaknesses? If so it wasn't necessarily a bad idea, but she highly doubted that many other devils were as upfront about it all as this Naruto.

Her thoughts were again interrupted by a sigh from the young man. She refocused just quickly enough to see him shrug off a nudge from the girl with a look of resignation.

"Alright, Pyrrha, I'll tell her that, too."

"Tell me what?"

Naruto gave her a wry grimace. "It's something no one who knows about it has a clue just how it came about. My Evil Pieces each gained a different ability. My Queen can feel my emotions from damn near any distance, my Bishop was matured a little in the way of her perception capability, my only Pawn- dear Pyrrha, here –has gained some of my physical endurance." He sighed again, "Somehow my Knight has managed to gain the natural human resistance I used to possess against both Holy Weapons and Light Magic so neither are instant death to her."

"Why keep it quiet?"

"Because not every devil is happy with the current state of things and may decide to try and restart an ancient war between us and every other biblical faction if they knew about that ability. Now I like a good fight as much the next guy, but war is pointless and leaves no true winner, only pain. And I have little doubt that my people would be forced into the front lines to try and become a vanguard."

His eyes hardened, surprising Titania with the strength of conviction hidden in his silver flecked orbs. "I refuse to allow my people to come to harm for another's greed, arrogance, and stupidity."

The woman studied Naruto in silence for a while, reading what she could of him and his character from their conversation so far and the way he held himself. Confident, yet with the uncertainty of youth. A powerful belief in those he calls friend, yet willing to sacrifice himself for them should the situation arise. A calm yet energetic demeanor, and an incredible self-anger for something that had happened in the not-so distant past. It was that anger that motivated him as much as his natural convictions, which worried Titania slightly, but not overmuch as she could see it was held at bay by a powerful will.

And there was a sense of lust, an incredibly strong lust that was also held back by that same will. It made Titania flush a little knowing that she was the source of such a reaction. Sure she had been called beautiful before, but mostly by drunkards looking for an easy lay. It did her feminine pride good to know that she was desirable by event this- thankfully sober –young man. He was too young for her personal tastes and sensibilities, but it was a nice feeling nonetheless.

Titania cleared her throat and said, "You realize of course that I have prior commitments to the Greil Mercenaries."

Naruto nodded, his expression understanding. "Naturally, but I have to wonder if you feel that you need to remain. Nightmare aside, I don't really see why my Rook piece would have singled you out for a chance at a new life. I set the spell to look for intelligence, but I also set it to look for a certain level of despair. People who needed, or felt like they needed, a new start. A new life."

The woman stared hard at him. So he admitted that he was pretty much preying upon those who had no hope left for their life, their world. He might mean well, but in the end that was what he was doing.

Though, she had to admit he'd read it fairly accurately. She felt like a crutch for the Greil Mercenaries, like they didn't so much need her as they just used her to soften up the bigger targets. She had been contemplating leaving and just traveling the world now that there was peace. But now this Naruto Asmodai appeared, and Van liked him enough to let the boy touch him, something even Ike and Mist hadn't been able to do.

Titania frowned a little at that thought. "What about Van? I can't just leave him, not after all we've been through."

Naruto shrugged, "if he consents you could take him as your Familiar. Basically an animal or spirit companion that helps you out in various ways. I have a rather large kitsune, just as an example. Kinda lazy, but he'd been trapped in a couple prisons for almost a hundred years so I think he's earned a bit of a vacation."

"Prisons? Plural?"

Naruto waved a hand, dismissing it as unimportant. "A long story for another time, and not really all mine to tell."

"Ah." Titania turned to Van. Through all of their years together she had come to trust his instincts as much as her own, and while hers said that this young man was on the level, she wanted a second opinion. "Alright, you, no more playing the dumb animal. What do you think? Should I take him up on his offer?"

Van snorted softly and nodded. He knew the measure of this young man better than most, his fae blood giving him a natural insight into Naruto's character. That and the fact that Van had scanned Naruto's mind while the young lad was helping his partner.

"And what of you? Would you want to come with me? As this whatever-it-was?"

"Familiar." Pyrrha said helpfully.

Titania nodded, "yes, that. Familiar."

Again Van nodded without hesitation. He'd waited most of two decades before he settled on Titania, he wasn't about to let her go on a new adventure without him!

Titania nodded again and faced Naruto. "Alright, how do we do this?"

Naruto grinned, "There are two ways, this first is the most commonly used: when the subject is either near death or just recently dead. That's not my preference, though I've made a couple exceptions. But since you are neither, we'll just go with option two… you take hold of this Piece, and voila! We'll wait around a little bit for you to come to, the process is a bit taxing apparently. Then we'll take you and Van through to my home, and when your new magic is strong enough to support the Familiar bond I'll walk you through it."

The woman nodded, "I'll want to leave behind a message so they don't go looking for me uselessly. Is that doable?"

"Of course. Unlike other universes I've been to this one seems willing to let me stick around for a bit." He raised his hand to stem the question he knew was coming, "I'll explain that one later. Suffice to say for the moment that many worlds do not take kindly to my presence and thus force me to leave."

Titania nodded. She'd get the full version later, she didn't doubt. Reaching out she took hold of the rook still floating above Naruto's hand and welcomed the burst of energy and the warm enveloping gold light.

She was going to start a new life, one with people who she could lean on just as much as she would be leaned on. She would be needed, she would need. She would be given, and she would give. She would be protected, and she would protect.

Titania, Rook of Naruto Asmodai.

 **XxXxXxXx – Ending Notes**

1- Yes, six. Not too big, not too small, and it's honestly smaller than Hyoudou Issei's canon harem which included Rias Gremory, Himejima Akeno, Asia Argento, Xenovia, Rossweisse, Ravel Phenex, Tojou Koneko, Kuroka, LeFay Pendragon, and Irina Shido.

2- Red Wolf: The **red wolf** , also known as the **Florida wolf** or **Mississippi Valley wolf** , is a canid of unresolved taxonomic identity native to the eastern United States. It is generally, morphologically, an intermediate between the coyote and gray wolf, and is of a reddish, tawny color. The red wolf is a federally listed endangered species of the United States, and is protected by law. It has been listed by IUCN as a critically endangered species since 1996. ... This was taken from Wikipedia.

3- Beorc/Laguz: in the games _Path of Radiance_ and _Radiant Dawn_ there are two general races; the humans (beorc) and the beast folk (laguz). The differences are rather academic in my personal opinion, aside from the obvious physical differences of course. I recommend playing the games to get a better idea.

4- Van: the horse does not actually have a name, but for the purposes of not only the conversation, but the fic as well, I had to give him something. In another Fire Emblem a pegasus had the name Titania, and was ridden by a woman called Vanessa. If you can't see where I got the name Van, then I think you may need to go back to school. Titania's mount isn't really anything special as far as the game story goes, it's just her horse, but I needed it to be something more, thus I dipped into D&D and borrowed the Celestial Charger… with a few tweaks.

Peerage (Familiar)

King – Naruto Asmodai (Kurama, Tiamat [waiting])

Queen – Tier Harribel (Undine)

Bishop – Rias Gremory (Magic Bat, Devil Bat)

Knight – Aayla Secura (Gryphon)

Rook – Titania (Celestial Charger)

Pawn – Pyrrha Nikos (Magic Red Wolf)

 **For those who are going to ask, at the end of this chapter approximately five and a half months have passed since Yugao and Konan have gotten pregnant, so there's at least another three and a half months to go on that score. And who knows? They might be late births, I know my siblings and I were all 10 months.**

 **Second, this is where I diverge from the general canon events of some of the characters. This particular Titania is from a couple of games called** _ **Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance**_ **and** _ **Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn**_ **. I say this so there is no confusion down the line with Erza Scarlet from** _ **Fairy Tail**_ **, as she also bears the name of Titania. And I own NONE of them…. :( Sad Face.**

~Dreaming of the Phoenix


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 01

 **Chapter 11: Adjustments Pt6, Reflections and Employees, and A Snow Maiden**

Titania woke slowly, getting a feel for her new environment. It has been a few days since she accepted her new lord's offer, and she was finding herself oddly at ease with the idea of being a devil. She had even started to train her new abilities and discovered she liked how her teacher pushed her to always be better. She had also awoken to her new boss sitting at her bedside, which was apparently his custom. The thought was appreciated, and it reinforced her opinion about his honour and loyalty.

Her thoughts drifted to Van, and she smiled in amusement. He had his own little house, apparently built for the sole purpose of housing mounted steeds, and since he was the only such creature currently in Asmodai possession he had it all to himself. She couldn't call it a stable, because really, what stable has three floors that are easily accessed by a horse? The house was under the supervision of two young dark elf children, their parents having been the former caretakers. Cheerful kids, those two, and if Titania didn't know better she'd have sworn they were twins instead of cousins.

The woman rolled to her left in bed and looked out a large window onto prime riding pasture, her thoughts moving to her trainer. Sebas Tian was, no matter how one looked at it, an incredibly old man who nonetheless managed to make beating the younger generation into the ground look easy. The elder Rook had taken one look at Titania's armour and weapon, declared them inadequate, and proceeded to show her just how and why he had managed to live through his centuries of service. At the end of her first session with him, Titania felt bruised and humbled. Her armour had been utterly trashed, and her axe... well, it was best not to dwell on what happened to that. Suffice it to say that she was on strengthening exercises until her new armour and weapon could be made.

Titania was practically in love. The last man to thrash her that badly had been Greil back when he was her trainer at Castle Crimea, and she would readily admit to a strong liking for a man who could not only stand his ground against her, but also take her to task so easily. Certainly Naruto had impressed her with his character, but Sebas had cemented her choice to follow the young blonde. If a man like Sebas was willing to follow him, and with so much loyalty... well, she figured there must be something more to her new boss.

 _Come to think of it, Sebas is quite likely the oldest living devil. I wonder if he likes redheads?_ She thought as she twirled a lock of her hair with one hand.

Titania's chest twinged in remembered pain and she immediately rolled back onto her back to give her ribs some relief. Thankfully today would be one for rest. She wasn't certain if she could find the strength to leave the bed right now.

Her meandering thoughts swerved a hard right, away from Sebas- much to her disappointment -and straight to what she had learned concerning her new boss. Titania would admit she wasn't quite certain what to think about some of the things he told her. Most of it was easily acceptable, all the biblical things he mentioned were fairly standard doctrine even in her world, but the other bits... Increased hormones due to an imperfect ritual leading to his need for a harem? Thankfully he had told her that he had not recruited her for a position in that, and her choice of man was still her own, assuming she wanted one. His harem seemed to currently consist of only two members, that red haired girl that was with him when he came around to recruit her and an older blonde woman who was introduced as his Queen.

Then there was the fact that the harem was the blonde woman's idea. That at least made it a bit easier to swallow. While harems weren't unheard of in Titania's world, they were usually created by the man just to sate his lusts for as many beautiful women as he could have. This time it was created by the women for the express purpose of allowing their man to retain his sanity as he slowly acclimated to his new hormone levels. Any territorial disputes were put on hold until he had full control of himself, and by that point, who knew? They might very well be so used to sharing him that they wouldn't even care anymore.

Possible. Unlikely in Titania's mind, but the possibility remained.

Then there was his former status as the third jail for that kitsune partner of his- Kurama, wasn't it? -who didn't seem to really hold a grudge against the young man for it. Or maybe the fox was just hiding it really well. Either way, Kurama wasn't much of a surprise to Titania due mostly to her previous experience dealing with the laguz tribes of Gallia, which lay just south of Crimea. The beast men- and women! -there were able to freely change back and forth between beast form, usually either a tiger or lynx, and humanoid. Then came the wars she was in where she interacted with members of the Bird tribes, hawks and crows and herons, and the later dragons and wolves... yeah, she was good on dealing with a large, talking, magical fox. Even one as strange as Kurama.

Following that was the Rejection Phenomenon Naruto mentioned. That alone made her head hurt to think about. Simply because the being in question may be of a race not native to a world, they may be cast back out? Yet this Underworld accepted all forms of life? Yes, Titania's head hurt to think about it. She was a warrior, sometimes a politician, but never a scholar or philosopher! She may enjoy reading a book every now and then, but those were titles one would never be able to pin on her.

Banishing her headache-inducing thoughts, the red haired former paladin stared up at the roof of her eminently comfortable four-poster bed– with gauzy curtains and all! -and wondered about just where her life would lead her from now on.

Her stomach growled loudly.

 _Guess the first place it's really leading me to is breakfast._

Go figure, she managed to find the strength to stand.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto sat alone on top of the highest part of the mansion. He needed some time to himself, so he suppressed his emissions of both magic and chakra to the same levels as the ambient area. It was a rather difficult technique, but he'd learned it as a child when he discovered his large reserves allowed damn near anyone with the tiniest amount of Sensing ability to find him. It became an invaluable skill for him later.

 _All those pranks I wouldn't have been able to pull off otherwise,_ he chuckled quietly to himself. _And it supposedly will shave time off whatever it is that Pa still wants to teach me. Something about being one with my surroundings...? Ah, whatever it is I'll blow his expectations outta the water!_

His thoughts then turned to his new Rook.

 _Titania is dealing with being a devil rather well, much better than anticipated. Though, that can be said for all my new companions that were once something else. Heck, aside from the whole hormones deal, I've been handling this rather well myself. Not sure what that says about me, though._

His mind moved to his newest employee, Kuroka.

 _Not really subtle, that one. If it weren't for my level of self-control I might have already banged what few brains she shows out. But she's nowhere nearly as obvious as Albedo at times. Maybe I should see about getting them each a man? Nah, that's too much like what Jiraiya might have done... oh, who am I kidding? The old pervert would have been milking my situation for all the sex he could get._

A heavy sigh left him. Naruto's eyes looked up, heavenward.

 _Ero-Sennin, it's only been a few months, but I do miss you. I miss Konoha. I wanted you to see me become Hokage. I wanted- No, I still want to save our world, but I don't know how I can. War, hatred, revenge, revolution... these seem to almost define our world. If only there was a way..._

His attention was grabbed by a commotion at the mansion's gates. Unlike many other devil families, the gates to the Asmodai grounds weren't a half-mile or more away, instead only being a few hundred yards. His keen eyes picked up the forms of several people and carts... wait, no, those weren't carts, they were covered wagons! Who the hell used actual wagons these days? Granted, they weren't big wagons, but still!

 _What the hell...? Eh, it's my day off, so I suppose I can go see what's going on._

 **XxXxXxXx**

"I'm telling you, young lady, that I'm expected! I even have the papers to prove it! Papers you've already read three times!" An irate middle-aged looking man said. He was a rather prominent blacksmith from a couple towns over, and he was obviously dressed in his best suit.

"And I'm telling you that it is Lord Naruto's day off, and no one is scheduled to arrive today with any kind of goods!" Militia retorted sharply, her sharp tongue being unleashed upon the poor hapless fool who was incurring her wrath. Her twin sister standing right beside her, lending unspoken support. "On top of that, these papers say you aren't expected for another week!"

The man snorted, "A lord of a region, taking a day off? What kind of lay-about is he? I've managed to finish the armour and other pieces he commissioned early. There's nothing wrong with finishing earlier than expected, now is there?"

Militia was about to lay into the man when another voice popped up from behind her. "Nothing wrong with that at all, my good man," Naruto said with good humour as he walked up to stand directly behind the Malachite sisters. "but every other smith I've ever met has always gone over their work a hundred times before declaring it done, and even then it's never quite done."

"Milord!" The sisters both made to drop to their knees, but he stopped them with a hand on their shoulders.

"Militia, Melanie, what have I said about the kneeling, bowing, and other things?"

"That they're stupid and we don't have to do them," Melanie replied quickly with a smile. Well she did pretty much quote him.

"Exactly!"

Militia narrowed her eyes at him, "How is it that we can never feel you coming?"

Naruto flashed her a grin, "I'd be a pretty poor shinobi if I couldn't sneak up on a distracted maid, now wouldn't I?"

Melanie's cheeks puffed up adorably, "Moh! But you aren't just a shinobi anymore, my lord. You are the Lord of Asmodai."

The blonde chuckled, "Ah, but Melanie, if I were to stop being a shinobi I'd be much less of who I am."

A voice interrupted, "Ah, Lord Asmodai?"

Naruto turned to finally look at the man with a wagon supposedly loaded with the various items he'd ordered, "Yes, that would be me. The real question, though, is who are you?"

The man fidgeted for a moment, "Ah, you ordered various goods from my town's craft-makers, including my own smithy, and I'm here to deliver. I know I'm a few days early, but here they are."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "I do recall making payments for various items from a nearby town, but I don't recall you."

The man stiffened slightly, sweat cresting his brow. "What do you mean, sir?"

"I mean that I went in person to make my orders," the blonde answered easily, "and _you_ were not one of the people I talked with; now was he, Sebas?"

"Indeed not, Lord Naruto," Sebas said, seemingly appearing from nothing right behind the man.

"I-I'm a new hire," the man said nervously.

Naruto nodded, a pleasant smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm sure that's it, but you won't object to my making certain of the product? You _are_ early after all. I'd hate to see you missed something in your haste."

As the blonde walked forward the nervous man realized something he hadn't noticed in all of the earlier banter: Naruto made no sound as he walked! The path was well-maintained cobblestone, and the young man looked to be wearing fairly hard-soled shoes. He should have made at least some noise, but there was nothing. No wonder no one had heard him approach, with silent footsteps like that he could probably sneak up on damn near anyone.

Naruto reached out to open the flaps and look inside the wagon...

...And saw nothing but armour and weapon parts made of the finest- or so he would assume –orichalcum, wyvern hides, and a few other things he'd been told were good for armour and weapons. He blinked. He hadn't been aware that orichalcum came in just as many accented colors as wyvern hide did. Golden metal shone bright with underlying accent colours of greens, reds, blues, purples, greys, blacks, and even some yellows. There wasn't a piece of metal in there that didn't gleam like it was freshly polished.

Naruto smirked. _The enemy will see anyone wearing this stuff coming from a mile away, which will be perfect to draw attention from the stealthier members... assuming I ever find ones attuned to stealth. So far I seem to be attracting the "knight" type. Well, except for Rias, definitely a "wizard" type if ever there was one. But at least she's learning something of physical self-defen_ _s_ _e, even if she has taken to using that damned kris(1) as a focus as well. Nasty little thing, I'm still surprised we had something like it in the armoury..._

 _Wait, getting distracted!_

He picked up a piece at random, an accent lining for what he would bet would fit into Pyrrha's armour with little difficulty. The gold-like material gleamed from within with a crimson tone, almost as if he held a crystallized combination of amber and blood. Naruto wasn't certain that she'd use it, but that was the point of getting multiple different varieties, which he noticed that there was one with a purple tone underneath it. Putting the piece back down, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Well, my friend, it seems everything's in order," Naruto said humorously. "Unfortunately Cocytus, the one I'd normally turn this over to, is a little busy at the moment in his daily training match against my Queen and Knight. So I guess I'll be dealing with it myself."

"No, no! Don't trouble yourself, lord-!"

"I insist," Naruto said firmly, stopping the man from continuing. "I cannot always delegate, and the matter of the final payment is in my hands anyways. So what say we get all this squared away, and then we'll discuss how to get the rest of the payment to the craftmasters, eh?"

The man capitulated, "As you wish, Lord Asmodai."

"Besides," Naruto continued blithely as he clapped a hand on the man's shoulder, "Sebas has a full list of everything I ordered, so we'll be able to make sure nothing was missed. Wouldn't want that, now would we? Could ruin the reputation of your fine town."

"Of course, Lord Asmodai," the man said with a tone of voice more suitable for a funeral procession.

"And of course this would be an opportune time to start breaking in my new Rook," Naruto said breezily, ignoring the sudden twitching of the delivery man. "Titania's going to have to look through these things anyway to find what she wants to use, aren't ya?"

The man froze as a firm yet feminine hand clamped down on his shoulder. Turning his head slowly he came face to face with a true beauty of a redheaded woman, who said in a strong tone, "Indeed, Milord. As your newest member, I must be properly outfitted, since Sebas crumpled my old steel. This is also a good chance for me to see how us devils handle the financing of such items."

The delivery man slumped. He'd been made, and he knew it. He had no idea how the blonde had figured out he was an assassin, but he'd bet diamonds to doughnuts it had something to do with just how early he was. Now he could only continue with the charade of being a new delivery man for the town in question, scrapping his contract completely in the process. The young man and two maids alone he could probably take, but then the blonde bugger had added Sebas into the mix. That old devil had a reputation that one simply did not cross if one valued their continued existence.

On top of that, though, there was the unknown that was this new Rook. He could easily see the competence with which she held herself. A certain set of the shoulders and the right gleam in her eye that said she'd dealt with those of the shadows before, and had come out alive.

All in all, the man was certain he was going to be in for a bad day.

Imagine his surprise to walk out of the gates three hours later, the final payments in the wagon instead of the products, and nary a word or sign that anything other than a business deal had gone on. The poor man's head was still spinning as he set his feet on the way to deliver the money to the town craftmasters.

Naruto was rather proud of that particular prank.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Rias stood panting in a training room that had been upgraded for her use, specifically so she could train her Power of Destruction. It wasn't exactly the kind of thing most people would want utilized outside of strict conditions, doubly so when her control was shaky at best.

"I don't get it!" The girl panted in frustration. "I'm a wizard type. Magic has always come easily to me. So why can't I get this power to obey me?"

Sitting beside the door on a bench, a little white haired girl shrugged. She knew Rias couldn't really see her movement, the redhead's back was to her, but she also knew by now that the other girl wasn't really asking for an answer. Still, in Shirone's mind it was a good question. Magic was magic, so shouldn't it all obey the same laws and what-not? But then Shirone already knew she wasn't really the magic type, so maybe she wasn't the best judge?

"It's because you're trying to force it, Rias." An amused male voice said suddenly from the doorway.

The two girls spun to see Naruto leaning against the door post, grin on his face.

"What do you mean?" Rias asked curiously, "I'm just trying to get it to work."

Naruto sighed and shook his head as he entered the room fully. "Yes, but you're going about it the wrong way."

He held up his right hand and a small glowing orb appeared, within it Rias could clearly see individual water droplets frozen in time and magnified for easy viewing. "Our family Powers are similar in that they respond to our emotions. Because of this I can tell you, that as you are still a child you should be having _fun_ with it. My own Power of Domination is over Time, you wanna know what it said to me when I got it?"

Rias shook her head, still awed slightly by the casual use of such a powerful ability. "It said, ' _I wanna play, so I give you all of time to control, then you play with me_ '."

He grinned ruefully and let the orb vanish, "You cannot force it, Rias, it must come from you, from what makes you who and what you are. At heart I'm still a prank-loving moron who just wants to eat ramen and protect what's precious to him. What about you, Rias? What makes you, you?"

Rias looked confused, her mind trying to work a mile a minute. Even with the enhanced perception from becoming Naruto's Bishop she was having a difficult time understanding just what he was saying. Was he saying what she thought he was? That she should simply let it out, like those cheesy anime masters kept saying?

"Another thing," he continued slowly, "is that because no two of us are ever the same, each of our Powers takes a different form. I have Time, my Father had Death, his mother had Blood. Your brother has his End Annihilation, your grandfather has multiple smaller orbs that he directs at will. It must flow, Rias. Your Power is much like the Wind in that you cannot force it, and like Fire it destroys what is in its path, but like Lightning it does not destroy indiscriminately. How will you shape it, Rias? What form flows the most natural?"

Understanding dawned on the young redhead's face, and she turned slowly to face the practice targets again. Her hands come up, palms out, a golden circle appearing.

 _Do not force it,_ she thought to herself. _It must flow, like... like wind through the trees, and water around a rock. Let it well up from within, and then just direct it..._

A torrent of red-lined black energy leaped from the circle, the foremost end briefly taking the shape of a jagged black fox head before impacting solidly against the target maw-first and incinerating it. Naruto couldn't stop an amused expression from forming.

 _So Kurama has had that much of an impact on my psyche, has he? It even invaded my mental training to the point that it was passed on to Rias somehow... probably best not to tell him, though. His ego's big enough as it is._

Rias and Shirone were sharing a small dance of glee at finally seeing progress, and- or Naruto would assume – from seeing such an awesome display of making something go 'boom'.

He might have joined them in their celebration, but he suddenly felt the need to see if Tier was free from her sparring match yet. With an internal sigh he turned and left the room quickly.

 _So now these stupid hormones of mine are acting up in regards to seeing flashy bits of destruction? Man, devil puberty sucks!_

 **XxXxXxXx**

"Hey, Brat! The mirror's at it again!"

Naruto blinked sleepily. "Another one already? That was quick. It's only been a couple days since we got Titania."

"I don't get it either, kid." Kurama sounded annoyed, "It's not like this idea of yours came with a manual."

"Though if I were you, I'd take a few more of your group than normal," the fox said thoughtfully. "The base situation isn't too bad, but the potential..."

"Ah, I get it. Could be troublesome."

The blonde shrugged as he levered himself out of bed, disturbing his two bedmates in the process. Blonde and red hair poked out from under the covers as Tier and Pyrrha woke up. The three of them didn't take very long to get ready, female stereotypes aside the two women knew that there was no time to waste.

Though Naruto did take a moment to admire the new red-tinted orichalcum and dark ivory wyvern leather that replaced Pyrrha's previous bronze and brown leather. Her circlet had remained as the bronze piece she always wore, but he didn't mind in the least. It accented her hair beautifully, much like how the ivory wyvern skin practically caused her skin to glow.

Then he quickly took note of the few changes to Tier's battle garb. Overall she said it reminded her of her former Released state, just in white-tinted orichalcum instead of the bone of a Hollow. He would have asked, but he had recalled what she was wearing when he first came to her as she lay dying... and he had to wonder if this outfit of hers shouldn't be classified as a weapon all its own considering the effect it had on him.

And they were both his. The level of satisfaction that hit him in that moment before they left room was just barely shy of being insufferably smug. Other men could look, but only he could touch them.

... Can't blame him on that.

 **XxXxXxXx**

She sat huddled on a bench, her only piece of clothing a torn and bloodied shirt. Her brown eyes were lifeless and dull, the light of interest and joy having been snuffed out long ago. Now she just sat there, waiting upon that park bench.

Despairing.

 _Will anyone want me?_ _ **Would**_ _anyone want me? A defective product? A broken, useless, worthless object like me? Where did it all go wrong? I had so many hopes when they first opened the pod I slept in..._

Her mind cast itself back over the past months since her awakening. The pod, the professor, his assistant, her education in her role. And then her Adjuster said something about her being broken.

 _... Ah... Broken... Defective... Worthless as anything but a lab specimen... Is it wrong that I want more? I want a life... I want a reason to exist beyond merely proving them wrong... I want_ _ **love**_ _..._

Hoping.

 _... Ah... Love, yes... I want that... More than anything I want to love... I want to be loved... I want a master, an Ashikabi, to love and serve... So... I don't care who it is, or why... I will love and serve the first one to want me... But who would want a piece of Scrap..._

"Well, I can't say I expected my next potential member to lack such a sense of life."

The woman looked up through the bangs of her short light brown hair and found herself falling into a pair of silver-flecked blue orbs filled with mischief and amusement, but above all she saw concern. Concern for her. Behind him she briefly took notice of two other women, one redhead and one blonde. She couldn't see much of them because they had their backs to her in a guarded stance, but she did note that the redhead was somewhat younger than the blonde woman.

"Naruto-sama," the blonde woman said in a chiding tone, though a small smile could be heard as well. "The rules."

"Ah, but once again I am remiss in my manners, as Tier-chan reminds me," the young man said humorously.

The woman turned her full attention upon him. He had sun kissed blonde hair in a wild mane pulled into a low ponytail. His body was far more muscled than what she had been led to believe was normal for someone of his apparent age of mid-teens. Lightly tanned skin, pearly white teeth, three strange lines on each of his cheeks, and dressed in what she recalled being worn by ninjas in the days of old in the colors of black and dark orange.

The young man swept into a small courtly bow, "My name is Naruto Asmodai, and I'm here for you, miss-?"

She realized he was asking for her name, "Ah... Akitsu... Sekirei 07."

"Well, Akitsu, I have a proposition for you-"

"I accept."

Naruto blinked at the interruption. "I haven't even told you what it is yet."

Akitsu stood up, a blank expression on her face despite the hope and desperation in her eyes. "I care not what it is. I care not why you have come to me. I care only that you want me..."

She hesitated for a moment, "Ah... you _do_ want me, right?"

Naruto blinked again and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I was going to ask if _you_ wanted to join me. It will involve giving up a very great deal, but it would give you a chance to make something of your life."

Akitsu nodded slowly. "You want me, despite my brokenness-?"

Naruto's head tilted. "Broken? I see nothing wrong with you."

Akitsu gestured vaguely to her forehead where a strange mark stood out against her pale skin, only partially hidden by her light brown hair. "Ah... Because of this... I am broken... scrapped... worthless-"

"No!"

The conviction and vehemence in his voice brought her focus back to him, and she found herself falling once more into the endless blue of his eyes. Akitsu admitted to herself that she would gladly die if those orbs were to be her last sight. The emotions roiling within them made her feel comforted and at peace.

"You are _not_ worthless!" Naruto continued passionately, gently grasping her shoulders to make sure she was listening. "You listen to me, Akitsu, you are not worthless. No one is! You have a name, a will of your own, a personality that is only yours! Abilities that only you possess! You have hopes and dreams! You have all of this and so much more or you would not have been feeling the level of despair you were feeling earlier! Worthless people do not feel, Akitsu!"

"I had a friend once who thought they were broken and useless, not even fit to be a tool," he said, his voice ringing with suppressed emotion. "I showed them otherwise, and I'll do the same for you! So, _yes_ , Akitsu, I want you!"

Tears fell slowly from her eyes, and for the first time in her admittedly short memory, Akitsu allowed herself to cry. She cried into the chest of the young blonde that said the words she had longed to hear for months. She cried and cried, eventually crying herself to sleep. The previous lines of exhaustion and hopelessness clearing in what was likely the first bit of restful slumber she'd had in a long time.

"Naruto, I have a question," Pyrrha said softly so as to not wake the sleeping woman.

"Yes?" He replied just as softly.

"Why did you not put a gender to this friend of yours?"

"Ah...," for a moment he had to pause as he sought an answer that wouldn't sound strange, but couldn't find one and finally just admitted, "I'm still not sure what Haku's gender was. He claimed to be male, but his form and voice... yeah, Haku was confusing like that."

His eyes hardened, "But it seems we have a guest with bad manners, ladies. Perhaps we should show them proper manners in return? I would just hate to be seen as a bad role model."

"AH! I wanted that one! It was to be mine! Give it to me! I want it for my collection!"

Naruto instantly wanted to do nothing more than murder the owner of that high pitched childish whine. His ears were sensitive, dammit!

Then his eyes narrowed as the words registered on him. With a low growl he stood and turned, Akitsu held gently in his arms as a golden glow sank into her chest. His gaze took in the ones who had disturbed his moment.

One was tall, clearly male despite somewhat rather feminine facial features. Clothed primarily in black and carrying a short chokuto style sword he gave off a feeling similar to Akitsu. The messy dark brown hair he sported was pulled back into a short ponytail, much like Naruto's own blonde. Naruto figured this man may very well be another of these Sekirei that Akitsu mentioned being part of. This man was definitely dangerous.

The other one made Naruto want to spank him. A short young boy, obviously of mixed descent, and clothed in a strange ensemble that seemed to enhance the statement of his youth, he nonetheless carried an arrogant attitude that was inversely proportional to his size.

 _The kid's got money, and I'd bet far more than he can spend in his lifetime. If not for his colouring I'd almost mistake him for a mini of Sasuke. Thank God_ ***wince*** _that isn't the truth of the situation. The brat's probably just been spoiled his entire life by his parents' money and hasn't learned the value of other people yet._

Naruto gave the younger boy a polite smile that didn't quite manage to reach his eyes. "My apologies, but this woman is mine now. If wanted her you should have gotten here before me. That having been said, people are not merely toys for you to collect. Now, I do believe it is well past bedtime for such little children, so you and your guardian there had best be off."

"Do you know who I am?!" The youngster shouted indignantly.

"No idea," Naruto replied instantly without care.

The kid gaped for a minute, his guard seemed to be trying no to laugh.

"I'm Mikogami Hayato!"

"Good for you."

"Grr, give me the Scrapped Number!"

"Hm? What's a Scrapped Number?"

"The thing you're holding!"

"I do believe you are mistaken. This is Akitsu, and she's hardly scrap."

"The crest on her head says otherwise!"

"Oh, you mean that mark that _used_ to be on her forehead?"

Mikogami and his guard both blinked and then took a better look. The lighting was bad that late at night, though the park lamps helped a bit, but they could clearly tell that where there should have been a mark of some sort there was only smooth skin. Where was the mark? It didn't make any sense, once a Sekirei was marked it was only possible to remove it through termination.

So where was it?

"You know," Naruto said calmly, "I did manage to watch something of this world before I came here."

This statement confused the two other males. It sounded as if he was some kind of alien, but aliens don't exist... right? Sekirei notwithstanding, of course. Those aliens didn't count as they had no true will of their own as far as Mikogami Hayato was concerned.

"I'll admit I was confused by a few things," Naruto continued in the same bland tone. "One of which was why a woman this strong and beautiful would think herself worthless. Now, though, I've seen into her eyes and seen the truth of the matter. Someone made her think she was worth less than anything, someone made her this way."

"Mutsu!"

The man in black, now revealed to be called Mutsu, sprang forward at the youngster's command. Only to have to dodge a series of rapid rifle rounds from Pyrrha followed by several slashing attacks from Tier who carried a new sword into this battle.

Naruto sweatdropped as he looked at it. Rather than a sword it looked more like a shark's idea of what sword must be, though according to Tier it resembled her old blade from her released state. She seemed to have an affinity for things from that form, not that Naruto was complaining, what with the current view of a strong woman in revealing armour. Very, what was the term?... Ah! Very Amazonian. Yes, Tier strongly resembled an Amazon Queen to him right now.

The sword Tiburon merely enhanced the image when Tier used it to cast a mid-level water spell.

With a small lull in the fight Naruto spoke loudly, "Mutsu, was it? It would be best if you took your master home now. You will not win this. I will not permit your master to bring this beautiful woman to even greater despair."

Mutsu narrowed his eyes. He knew of no Sekirei to use guns, yet this redhead was too precise in her aim to be human. Likewise there was only one water wielder among his people, and though this woman was blonde, she was obviously not Number Nine.

Sighing the brunette male knelt on the ground, his sword sheathed and grasped in his two hands. "Sadly, my Master is stubborn, and has decreed that he wants that Sekirei you're holding. So I must do all in my power to acquire her."

He was about to use a special technique of his when he heard the blonde man hum thoughtfully.

"I see, that's a problem. Considering that if you do not back off now, I will personally end your master's life."

A shiver went up Mutsu's spine. The words weren't said coldly, or with heat. They were stated like they were merely talking about the weather. As if the act of killing Hayato would be no more an issue for this young man than taking a stroll on a bright summer day. The voice alone told him the young man serious, but he still had to try and reign in this unknown dark horse.

"You wouldn't, the rules of Sekirei Plan forbid targeting another Ashikabi." Mutsu said, sweat rolling off his brow. This was bad, he just noticed that the young blonde man was obviously carrying a weapon under his jacket. The signs were subtle, and the late hour made them that much harder to see, so Mutsu could probably be forgiven for his lack of perception.

"Ah, but I'm not one of these Ashikabi," Naruto said with an evil smile. "I'm a devil; head of the House of Asmodai, to be precise. Your 'rules' about this so-called game mean absolutely nothing to me."

"Plus," he continued in a pleasant manner, "I'm currently fighting off several doses of a rather potent Rejection Phenomenon, and I'd love to leave a little 'fuck you' behind to the nutjob who thought it was a good idea to force a nearly extinct race to fight for the right to live on this planet."

"So please," Naruto lost his pleasant expression as he stared into Mutsu's eyes. "Go ahead and stick around. Continue trying to take this woman from me. I will be more than happy to oblige both you and your master in an early grave."

 **Meanwhile – Within Akitsu's Mind**

She felt comfortable, safe. Her perceptions surrounded by a golden glow that seemed to be remaking her. If she extended her senses a little Akitsu thought she could still feel the arms of the young man who claimed to want her.

As she drifted, content and happy within golden radiance that filled her, words filtered into her mind. The voice of the man whom she had decided to love.

" _Hm? What's a Scrapped Number?"_

Akitsu winced slightly. She hated being called that. And she didn't want him to think less of her for being unable to be winged.

" _I do believe you are mistaken. This is Akitsu, and she's hardly scrap."_

The warmth from before returned, even stronger. So even the mark on her head didn't matter to this wonderful man.

" _Oh, you mean that mark that_ used _to be on her forehead?"_

She smiled to herself. She could feel that something was different within her, but that mark... that mark would stay with her forever. That was how the damned crest worked. It stayed with you until you died, or were "terminated".

Despite her belief in that statement, Akitsu could not feel the accursed mark of her broken state. Which was very odd because she was always hyper-aware of it. Ever since it first appeared she knew it was there at all times. Yet she could not sense its presence now.

" _I'll admit I was curious about a few things. One of which was why a woman this strong and beautiful would think herself worthless. Now, though, I've seen into her eyes and seen the truth of the matter. Someone made her think she was worth less than anything, someone made her this way."_

Akitsu felt herself flush in pleasure. He thought she was beautiful and strong...? Did he know just what kind of effect his words were having on her? Of course not, she was surrounded by the golden light and thus he conceivably could not know she was able to hear him.

" _Mutsu, was it? It would be best if you took your master home now. You will not win this. I will not permit your master to bring this beautiful woman to even greater despair."_

There he went again, calling her beautiful. Akitsu had been called many things since she broke: useless, worthless, Scrapped... but never beautiful. And she heard the sincerity in his words, he truly thought that she was worth something.

" _I see, that's a problem. Considering that if you do not back off now, I will personally end your master's life."_

No! She couldn't let this wonderful man, this man that she was already in love with, sully his hands with the blood of some inferior human scum! Especially not after his rescue of her heart.

" _I'm a devil; head of the House of Asmodai, to be precise. Your 'rules' about this so-called game mean absolutely nothing to me. Plus, I'm currently fighting off several doses of a rather potent Rejection Phenomenon, and I'd love to leave a little 'fuck you' behind to the nutjob who thought it was a good idea to force a nearly extinct race to fight for the right to live on this planet."_

Who cared what he was? So long as he wanted her, Akitsu didn't care. She loved him. She wanted to always be with him. She would fight to remain with him all her days.

" _So please, go ahead and stick around. Continue trying to take this woman from me. I will be more than happy to oblige both you and your master in an early grave."_

Her Master. Her Beloved. The One Who Took Away The Pain. He fought for her still, further embedding her choice in him. She would go with him, wherever he went. She would never leave him, she loved him too much.

Akitsu's Ashikabi.

With that, she woke.

 **XxXxXxXx**

A sudden frost sprang seemingly from nowhere, covering the ground and causing the temperature in the area to plummet. Naruto knew where it was coming from, though. He could feel it radiate from the woman in arms...

Damn but it was cold! Well, there was a reason such a thing had its own name; Rime.(2) Damn nasty stuff, and ever since Haku he'd never looked at ice the same way. However, it was slightly amusing that after failing to save Haku, he had managed to rescue a woman who reminded him so much of Hyoton user... right down to the ice manipulating ability.

Akitsu's eyes opened, her first sight being the slightly amused expression of her master. Ah, how she already loved those exotic eyes and the minimal tilt of the lips for his smirk, all topped by that barely tamed mane of bright blonde hair. She felt like she was watching the sun rise over crystal clear waters.(3) And in their reflection she saw his words were truth, the mark was gone from her head.

"Ah... my Beloved..." The love in her voice was clear.

Naruto raised a brow in question. "Beloved?"

She nodded firmly once and reached up to cup the sides of his face, determination and belief etched deep within her brown eyes. "You came for me. You have called me beautiful and offered me a place at your side. You have fought for me. I, who have been broken for so long, scrapped and thrown away, seen as useless except as something to amuse a madman."

She paused for a moment to let that sink in. "We Sekirei are meant to love and be loved, and with what you have done for me already I have decided to love you; Forever and Ever, my Ashikabi."

Mutsu was unable to do anything but watch in stupefied wonder as the so-called Scrapped Number brought her face up to kiss the young blonde man, nearly going into shock as bright wings of cyan blight burst forth from Akitsu's back. That shouldn't be possible! She was broken, un-Wingable! Yet there she was, getting her wings from this strange blonde that sent even greater shivers of terror up Mutsu's spine.

On his side of things, Naruto felt a connection form between him and this world. It wouldn't support him before, but now... something had apparently changed. Maybe it was this "Ashikabi" thing Akitsu mentioned? If that was a thing here, a kind of race, then by making him her Ashikabi it could very well have changed things just enough for him to not be subjected to Rejection.(4) Though he still fought off the Rejection for those he brought with him.

As they separated, Naruto smiled gently at Akitsu causing a rosy blush to form on her cheeks. "Well, I can't say I mind, but what's this all of a sudden?"

Akitsu buried her face into his chest, trying to hide an embarrassed flush and tears of joy. She could _feel_ the Bond fall into place! "...Ah, it's just something I've always wanted to do."

"I see," he commented lightheartedly. "Well, if it's all the same to you, Akitsu-chan, I think we need to spank some naughty children."

Mutsu shook himself out of his stupor at that and rushed to his Ashikabi's side, picked the boy up under his arm and ran away as fast as he could. Naruto, Tier, and Pyrrha all watched in amusement as the male Sekirei ran. The man had assumed that Naruto spoke of Mikogami when he mentioned a naughty child...

In truth, he was only half wrong. Naruto had said "children", plural. So while, yes, Mikogami was on the list, there was at least one other as well.

Well, not like Mutsu would care at this point, the man was already well out of earshot when Naruto smiled down at Akitsu and finished his thought.

"Of course that's assuming you want me to do something about all of this?"

Akitsu blinked. He was going to leave it up to her? Wait, what did he mean, exactly?

"Ah... about what?"

"This whole stupid thing where you and the rest of your race have to fight each other just to survive and be accepted on this planet."

Akitsu drew her face back from his chest with a small bit of reluctance to stare into his eyes. Her incredulous expression met his sincere and her heart beat a little faster. He really could do something, she realized. Akitsu had no idea what he could do, but the power she felt from him with the Ashikabi/Sekirei Bond on top of whatever he did to remove the earlier crest told her that this was no mere posturing; he wasn't just saying it to look cool to her, he really could do it.

Akitsu ran it through her head. Did she want him to do something? Should he succeed, what would really happen? Could more of her species, more of her sisters and brothers find their true love? Or would it just open the world to greater wars? Wars which pitted her family against itself all because of some other greedy, grasping individual? As much as Akitsu disliked admitting it, some of her siblings were less than subtle...

... Akitsu gave the ice covered area around her a slightly guilty glance. She supposed she wasn't all that subtle either, but it did prove her point. How long until the Sekirei were drawn into international wars? As it was the Sekirei Plan, as much as she hated it, at least limited potential damage to both the world and to her race to a small area and relatively few humans.

After a great deal of thought, which she noticed was coming to her easier, Akitsu shook her head. "I-I don't like the Plan, but there's little I can do, and even if M.B.I. was destroyed there is no guarantee that my family would be safe. As it stands we are relatively sheltered, despite the horrible rules of the game."

"And if I were to, I don't know, take your race with us? Or at least those who wish to go? The Underworld supports all forms of life, I'd suspect that it would allow even your people."

"As much as I hate Minaka and his insanity, I'd prefer if you didn't make more work for me," a female voice said, breaking into the flow of the conversation.

Naruto turned to see Tier and Pyrrha holding at bay a fair sized force of armed people- who he assumed were Security of some kind given the logo on the riot shields they carried – led by a silver haired woman in a lab coat and slightly rumpled pantsuit. The woman had grey eyes, and despite the easy way she held herself, even going so far as to light up a cigarette, Naruto could feel determination and authority radiating from her.

He frowned, though, as he felt Akitsu grasp his shirt tightly with one hand. "And you would be?"

"Sahashi Takami, vice-president of M.B.I., and unofficial babysitter to the nutjob orchestrating this whole shebang... oh, God, that's still depressing to admit."

Naruto winced slightly at the mention of God's Name. While he was a High-class devil, he was also still new, so that Name continued to cause him pain. He was just glad the woman, this Sahashi Takami, hadn't used one of the many Greater Names for the being that was at the centre of Christian religion.(5)

"I bet," he replied dryly, remembering his early genin days where it seemed he was always stuck looking out for someone who just didn't get it.

Takami shook her head a little, "look, kid, I'm sure you have great and noble intentions, but I'm already having a really bad day. I'm going to have to ask you to come with me to answer a few questions, namely why you don't show up in our database and how you managed to wing Number Seven there."

Naruto seemed to think about it for a moment, "Hm, yeah, how 'bout no?"

The woman's eyes narrowed, "Kid, that wasn't a suggestion."

Naruto shrugged indifferently, "You make it sound like I should care. I am many things, Sahashi-san, but easily intimidated is not one of them. If you want me to go anywhere with you, you had better ask politely, or possess a much stronger bargaining position."

He paused for a moment, "You have done neither of those things."

Akitsu buried her face into his chest, her shoulders shaking slightly. She'd seen something that Takami hadn't and was doing her damnedest not to laugh. She wasn't usually the type to laugh at all, what with her previously hopeless-seeming situation as "Scrap", but this was just too amusing for her.

"In case you haven't noticed, kid, I definitely have the second of those two options."

"You do, huh? How so? You're kinda alone."

Takami stiffened and turned her head just far enough to look behind her. Sure enough, her men were gone. No trace of them remained, and to make it worse there had been no sound as they were removed. Turning her shocked gaze back to the blonde man, she was even more surprised to see a large red-furred fox sitting beside him.

 _That wasn't there a moment ago..._

"Very smooth, Kurama." Naruto praised.

The fox snorted, "You said all I'd really have to do was sit around and look badass."

"True, but I also said that I might need you to scare a few people."

Kurama's eye twitched and he muttered, "Stupid technicalities."

"Besides," Naruto continued pleasantly, "I figured you wouldn't mind getting a bit of exercise that didn't involve a nap in the field. Was I wrong?"

"No, Naruto-sama," Rias said as she appeared from behind Takami with a small giggle. "Rama-chan was practically bouncing at getting to stretch his legs and make some poor humans vanish."

Takami jumped at the redhead's sudden appearance even as Kurama shouted indignantly at the nickname.

"Rama-chan?!"

Rias giggled again, "What? It's cute."

"I am _not_ cute!"

"Well _I_ am a young girl and my nicknames for things have to be cute!"

"I am not a thing!"

"You know what I mean!"

Takami wasn't sure if she should be weirded out, annoyed, creeped out, or just plain disturbed at being caught between these two. Eyeing the oversized dagger in the purportedly young girl's hand – seriously, how young could she really be with a body like that? Some Sekirei didn't have curves like those, and most of them were already preternaturally beautiful. It wasn't fair! - the woman decided to go with a mixture that included exhausted when the young man spoke up.

"Rias, Kurama, that's enough."

It wasn't the tone, the naturally commanding presence, or even the calm way it was said that both awed and frightened Takami. It was the instant obedience by both parties that set warning bells off in her head. Glancing at the girl she noticed with a bit of worry that there were traces of something approaching worship deep within the child's oceanic orbs. Panning her eyes back over to the fox she figured that, while she wasn't exactly familiar with vulpine body language, it stood in a stance that showed a certain amount of deference.

Naruto sighed and since Akitsu was conscious he set her feet down, though he kept one arm around her waist much to her delight. "Alright, let's see here... Sahashi-san, right? I'm afraid that what you want is rather immaterial to me, as I'm still waiting to hear Akitsu's reply to my question. As things stand I have no problems killing you and that nutjob you mentioned, and then stealing away every last Sekirei that wishes to try their luck in another world."

Akitsu shifted a little, drawing his attention, "Ah... perhaps just getting rid of those Ashikabi like that kid from before?"

Takami sighed. "More work," she muttered to herself, though she noticed the other redheaded girl between her and the blonde boy looked a little uncomfortable. Maybe Takami might have an ally in this situation?

Naruto raised an eyebrow to Akitsu, "Is that what you want, Akitsu-chan? Just to get rid of the ones who abuse their Sekirei or merely see them as some kind of dolls to collect?"

Akitsu thought about it for a minute. What about just eliminating the bad Ashikabi? No, not realistic. They didn't have that information, the kind that would point out abusive masters. Granted that young man from earlier seemed like a good candidate, but who was to say that he didn't treat his Sekirei well? Sure he sounded like he saws them as nothing more than game pieces or dolls, but that didn't mean he abused them. Mostly it just meant that he cared little for their feelings, but he was young. Probably didn't even know what love was yet.

"No," the brunette finally decided. "I do not have the right to make that choice, and neither do you. Not that M.B.I. has any more right to make it, but in this world my people have a chance to survive. I do not wish to take that from them. I will leave, surely that will be enough of a change in the Plan, even if I was never truly meant to participate."

Takami gave a short, sarcastic laugh. "It seems your mind is more there than we gave you credit for, Akitsu, if you can see through Minaka that clearly."

Akitsu's brow furrowed. It was true, she had rarely ever had such clear and concise thoughts. Not without a great deal of time behind them, at least. Yet here she was was, taking only moments instead of hours or even days. Her gaze shifted once more to the eyes of her new love. She didn't know how, but she was suddenly certain he had something to do with it.

 _Ah... I don't care. I love Naruto-sama, nothing can change that._

With that silent declaration, Akitsu locked stares with Takami.

"It doesn't matter what you say," Akitsu said quietly, "I have no doubt that Naruto-sama could do just as he said. But more than that, he is my Ashikabi, my Beloved, my Master. He gave me my wings. I will gladly follow him into the very depths of Hell."

Rias couldn't stop a small giggle. This woman didn't know just how true her statement was. Well, it wouldn't be Hell, but most Catholics wouldn't care to split hairs.

"Well, then," Naruto said grandly, with a sweeping motion of his arm, "Shall we go home? I still need to explain things to my new Bishop, and Maou save us if we miss a meal Narberal(6) made!"

Rias skipped over to his side as Tier and Pyrrha slowly backed up, never taking their eyes off Takami. Said woman was more than a little confused, what the heck was the boy talking about? Then a golden circle swirled into existence beneath their feet and they vanished in a burst of light.

Looking at the now-empty plaza Takami muttered in disbelief, "How the Hell do I explain this to Miya?!"

Meanwhile in transport, Akitsu was filled with euphoria. Her new Ashikabi – how she loved to call him that! - had called her his Bishop. She didn't know quite what that meant, but she knew a bishop was some kind of priest, or priestess in her case. Which was fitting in her opinion because she would never fail to sing his praises. The man who saved her, took away her pain, and gave her a new life. So yes, she would gladly extol his virtues to the very Heavens!

She was not just his Sekirei.

She was Akitsu, proud Bishop of Naruto Asmodai.

 **XxXxXxXx**

1- Kris: While most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia the kris is also indigenous to Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Singapore and the Philippines where it is known as kalis with variants existing as a sword rather than a dagger. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although many have straight blades as well. (Taken from Wikipedia) In this case Rias has taken to using one of the wavy-bladed variety.

2- **Rime** is a type of ice deposition that occurs quickly, often under conditions of heavily saturated air and windy conditions. Technically speaking, it is not a type of frost, since usually supercooled water drops are involved, in contrast to the formation of hoar frost, in which water vapour desublimates slowly and directly. Ships travelling through Arctic seas may accumulate large quantities of rime on the rigging. Unlike hoar frost, which has a feathery appearance, rime generally has an icy solid appearance. (Taken from Wikipedia)

3- Akitsu's Feelings: before anyone tries to ride me about how quickly it occurred remember one thing! Sekirei are parasites, they NEED that emotional connection to another sentient being to function properly. Akitsu even more so considering her trauma about being "scrapped" and "broken". She is the type to latch onto the merest form of hope, as is proven in canon when she follows Mikogami despite being unable to be winged. Falling in love is first nature to a Sekirei, not second. It is the entirety of their reason to exist as I understand it, which was twisted by Hiroto Minaka when he created the Sekirei Plan.

4- I'm playing a little fast and loose with the rules of Sekirei here. Originally, when the very first Sekirei ship opened and they spread themselves over the world, there was no need for the later "Sekirei DNA" for someone to be an Ashikabi. You see it in the manga in a kind of flashback into Minato's "genetic memory". I took that as another sign of Minaka's tampering, and with the blank slate that Akitsu became after her transformation... yeah, work it out for yourselves. I'd be very disappointed in you all if you couldn't figure it out from there.

5- Greater Names: these vary from religion to religion. For example, in Islam it is Allah, in an older version of Judea-ism it is Yahweh. God is called by many different Names throughout history, also commonly referred to by some as the White God, and many different cultures split their understanding of Him by referring to certain natural acts as being the responsibility of so-called Lesser Gods (ie: Lightning strikes were attributed to Zeus in Greece, Jupiter in Rome, etc.). This is my personal interpretation of how all religions venerate Him in some way, even if they use other Names.

Honestly, if I were to be perfectly straight with all of the other religions in the world I'd probably have to say... God is immortal, we are not, so why bother trying to categorize Him? We cannot hope to understand an infinite existence in our limited time, so let's cease the use of Names and simply accept that we all have different interpretations.

6- Narberal: one of the Pleiades maids I mentioned earlier in the fic. If you wanna know more about her, look her up; Narberal Gamma.

Current Peerage:

 **Queen:** Tier Harribel

 **Bishops:** Rias Gremory, Akitsu

 **Knight:** Aayla Secura

 **Rook:** Titania

 **Pawn:** Pyrrha Nikos

 **Okay, the ending actually took a fair bit of time to come together. I had wanted to send a final "Fuck You" to Minaka, but I couldn't really justify it, so I explained why with Akitsu.**

 **Assistance with this chapter comes from hyvnn, formerly Dreaming of the Moon, and Skysage24.**

~Dreaming of the Phoenix


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 01.

 **Chapter 12: Adjustments Pt7, Evaluations, and The Ultimate Knight**

Naruto woke and found himself smothered by three women. Not an unusual occurrence anymore, not since Akitsu had decided that she was going to join him, Pyrrha, and Tier in bed.

Akitsu had absorbed everything he'd told her with a blank expression, then stated calmly that she didn't care so long as she could be by his side. That was not the level of loyalty one could find in just anyone, or so Naruto had thought before he remembered her saying that it was the kind of thing that all Sekirei exhibited for their Ashikabi.

When it came to Tier and Pyrrha explaining the harem, they received a blank stare and a question: "Of course he has a harem, why wouldn't Master Naruto have one? He is a strong man, strong men attract many women, it is only natural."

Pyrrha had stared blankly at Akitsu until the Sekirei explained that, due to the small number of possible Ashikabi, it was fully possible that a Sekirei would have to share their Destined One, as she called them, with other Sekirei. In fact Akitsu had heard of at least three Ashikabi with more than six Sekirei each.

The redhead had thrown her hands up in... well, Naruto wasn't certain if it was disgust, frustration, or something else, but Pyrrha had then grabbed him by the cheeks, placed a hard kiss on him, and then stormed off. She'd still been in the bed for that night, along with Tier of course, and the newly acquired Akitsu.

The brunette's first training day had been kinda funny, though... from Naruto's perspective at least.

 _X-Flashback-X_

Albedo and Rias stood on either side of the new Bishop... gawking. Across the training field was a swath of frozen landscape and enormous spires of ice all covered in a thin layer of snow. Akitsu simply stood there, staring at her handiwork with a blank expression and without so much as a hair out of place. Demiurge, as the instructing devil, simply smirked quietly. This subject was prime material for experimentation... wait, no. As a member of Naruto-sama's peerage Akitsu was off-limits. Oh well, at least she'd take up less of his time than the little Gremory wench.

"And the talent for destruction continues," Albedo murmured in shock.

"It's not fair," Rias muttered jealously. "It's taken me months, years even, to get my magic to listen to me reliably, and she does _this_ on her first try. It's just not fair."

"Ah... was that good?"

Naruto doubled over with laughter before sweeping the ice woman into the air by her hips and spinning her around. As he brought her down he planted an enthusiastic kiss on her lips and said breathlessly, "That was beautiful, Akitsu!"

"Ah, Master's praise," she blushed heavily.

Albedo glanced at Naruto with a wry expression. "You knew this would happen, didn't you, Lord Naruto?"

Rias threw a startled look back at him as he grinned, unrepentant. "You knew?!"

Naruto chuckled lightly, "and so you have have, Rias. You saw the park where we found her. You were watching the entire time, so you should have been able to see this coming. Not to mention that you and Akitsu have both received portions of my own mental training, you specifically got my ability to observe and predict."

"That was her original power, though!" Rias protested, "this is magic. I had hoped she'd at least have difficulty with a new kind of power!"

"Unrealistic," Naruto dismissed her statement. "Power is Power, Rias. I thought I'd said it before, it must all flow from who and what you are. Akitsu is very much aware of who and what she is, so her power, be it her original or magic, comes to her call easily."

"Ah, what about your magic, Master?" Akitsu asked, her cheeks still red.

"Me?" He asked innocently, "my magic is... well, see for yourself."

He turned to the frozen over area, raised his hand, and summoned a circle. Behind him Albedo and Demiurge hastily erected barriers. They knew what was coming and had no wish to be forced from their feet.

"Oh, and you may wish to follow Albedo's lead on covering your eyes."

Rias had just enough time to call up her own defensive ward as Wind, elemental and unstoppable, crashed into the frozen spires. Akitsu belatedly managed to cover her eyes from the shattering ice flying all around. She felt wind brushing past her, as though only Naruto's direct presence against her side dictated that she not be thrown like a rag doll. When she finally reopened her eyes, Akitsu saw a wide spread mist of ice crystals floating on a gentle breeze.

"My magics are of Wind and Time," Naruto explained to the clearly awed woman. "Though I do have spells in other elements, those two are my specialties. Wind especially seems to like me, not that I'm complaining."

He paused for a moment, and then held up his hand. Within a small orb formed of frozen time, the water droplets magnified so anyone could see them. The image was both beautiful and saddening to Akitsu. A moment of in time, frozen for as long as another will made it so, reminded her of her own existence and how she felt not too long ago.

"Time is... a little different," Naruto admitted. "My Power of Domination gives the ability to control Time as I see fit, either in a localized area such as this bubble, or in a wider range. The toll it takes on my reserves is enormous, however, and it only really responds to a sense of mischief and fun."

He grinned, "In short, it's much like a puppy that just wants to play and have fun."

No one really knew what to say to that.

 _X-Flashback End-X_

Oh, yes. Those expressions were priceless. Even though Albedo lost her surprise quickly, it was always interesting to see her flabbergasted like that. Rias, too, lost her expression when it was revealed that Akitsu had prior training in using the power that was inherent in all Sekirei and that hers manifested as ice.

Honestly it seemed that Akitsu was adjusting to her new status as a devil incredibly well. She had begun to read up on the histories, and had followed Rias in choosing a priestess outfit... save that Akitsu chose a light blue short skirt instead of a red hakama, and added chains across her revealed cleavage. Her choice of costume was more than a little distracting, much like Tier's choices.

"Mm, Naruto-sama." Akitsu mumbled sleepily as she rubbed her head into his chest. The rest of her naked self rubbing against him as she shifted gave him the urge to take her right then and there. But with both Tier and Pyrrha still sleeping that would be incredibly rude.

He cursed silently. He knew, just _knew_ that Jiraiya somehow had a hand in his troubles. Naruto was also absolutely certain that the old pervert was laughing at him in whatever afterlife he went to.

He was hungry, dammit! But with three women clinging to him the only option to get out was...

Ah! There it was!

A quick application of his chakra, and one seamless, seal-less, Kawarimi with a full body pillow later, and Naruto was free to finally feed his beast. And for once he didn't just mean Kurama!

 **XxXxXxXx**

Later that morning Naruto was back in the training room. He was in the middle of his weekly spar with Sebas, who had taken it upon himself to add in Shalltear to the regimen to assist in teaching his master how to adjust to someone who was an absolute wildcard. Off to one side of the room, currently exercising their chakra by holding up a Fuinjutsu barrier, were Yugao and Konan who were gauging Naruto's progress with the aid of a check-list-styled chart.

Neither woman was happy that they couldn't really do anything strenuous since their bellies had swollen, but they took it philosophically. They both knew the regimen for kunoichi mothers to get back into shape, and they were aware that even just keeping up the barrier was a form of exercise. It would at the very least keep their chakra network on working order. This is not to say that the two women had begun to slack off in regards to staying shape, they were simply chaffing at not being as free as they were used to.

The spar finally came to an end, once more in Naruto collapsing on the ground after being soundly trounced. He lay there gasping for breath as Yugao and Konan tallied their scores.

"Very good, Naruto-sama." Sebas said.

Naruto glanced at the elderly-looking man with bit of envy as the butler didn't even look winded.

"So you say, Sebas," the blonde replied once he had gotten enough breath to speak. "Did I get you past that thirty-seven percent?"

"Yes. I had to go up to forty."

"Which was the last piece we needed for our progress charts," Konan said. "Congratulations, Naruto-kun, as far as your taijutsu is concerned you're in the lower jonin ranks."

Naruto smiled tiredly. "Lower Jonin, huh? Well, I started this exercise at about mid-chunin, so at least there's noticeable progress."

"Indeed," Sebas remarked. "As I understand it, that is quite the achievement."

"Yeah, it's definitely an improvement on my hand-to-hand from what it was." Naruto admitted easily.

A moment later Naruto kipped up to his feet, "Whelp, time for my magic test, I suppose. If I'm late Albedo might just skin me."

"There is that possibility, yes."

"That isn't reassuring, Sebas."

"It is not meant to be."

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto stood clutching his knees as he gasped for air. Albedo was one hell of a taskmistress, no pun intended. For the past four hours she'd had him throwing around high-level spells to try and find his limit.

It was safe to say that she'd found it. An hour ago.

"So you have hit your full limit after only four hours?"

"Yugao?" Naruto sent the purple haired woman a pleading glance.

"Most shinobi battles do no last longer than a few minutes," Yugao explained, taking pity on the young man. "Four hours for us is not a single battle, but rather a series of them. On top of that Naruto-kun was already tired from his earlier exam against Sebas."

Albedo silently acknowledged the point with a nod. "However, he is now a devil. Many of our battles can last for days, there is at least one I can think of that went on for nearly a decade. If he is to ever stand at the top, he must become stronger."

"True... enough... Albedo," Naruto gasped out, his breathing slowly steadying. "But how many devils my age can last as long as I have?"

"For your age group, you are indeed a powerful representative." The former Queen replied, "But not the strongest. By current acclaim that title goes to young Sairaorg Bael, who does not possess his family's famed Power of Destruction."

Naruto and the two kunoichi shared an amused glance, then he said, "Honestly, Albedo, the respective Powers of some of the devil families are quite often a bigger hindrance than they are an asset. Take my own Domination of Time as an example. Small scale over a short period? It works fine. Large scale over that same period? Freaking exhausting! Then there's the fact that most of those who have one use it as their answer to every little thing rather than using it as trump card like it should be. Much like many wielders of Kekkei Genkai in my world. The Uchiha come to mind rather readily on that score."

He shook his head, "I'm getting off track. My point is, I am far less likely to underestimate someone _without_ a family Power or trait than someone like Rias who _has_ it simply because they did not have the luxury of it. They never had the chance to become dependant, they had to change and evolve a style wholly their own. Thus they are far less predictable than they otherwise might be."

Albedo tapped a finger against her lip in thought. "I had not considered it like that."

Naruto gave her a wry grin, "few do."

The woman shrugged, then gave him a look. "If you are done catching your breath, I do believe these two wish to test your ninjutsu ability. You may as well get started."

"Dammit."

"After which is genjutsu," Yugao added helpfully.

"Double dammit."

 **XxXxXxXx**

"You know, Konan, I've never really been much of one for books."

"Yes, I know, Naruto-kun."

"So why am I sitting in the family library with half a tonne of books around me?"

"Because these are important pieces of information, and you can't always rely on Tier or Aayla to bail you out."

"Important how? One of these is labelled Dead Gods."

"What is a shinobi best weapon, Naruto-kun?"

"Deception."

"Yes and no," the blue haired woman replied mysteriously. "Knowledge, Naruto-kun. Knowledge of how people react to something, of how to act when impersonating someone. These books will give you a greater base knowledge on how the humans and devils of this universe think, which will allow you to...?"

"Deceive them," he finished for her with a grimace for the stacks of books. "Well I suppose my courses on basic finances are done, or at least Albedo is content for the time being, so I guess I can shift my study focus. But seriously, why the Dead Gods book?"

"Because some of them might not be as dead as people believe, and I think it prudent to have the base knowledge of them just in case."

Naruto blinked rapidly, then grumbled as he picked up the book, "Fucking deception."

 **XxXxXxXx**

"Hey, Brat! Next one's up on the mirror, and you are not going to believe this!" Kurama shouted a week after Akitsu arrived in the life of Asmodai manor.

"Why? Is it a bloody dying Saint or something?" Naruto asked sarcastically as he made his way to the Mirror of Remote Viewing.

"No, but pretty damn close."

Naruto looked into the mirror, felt his jaw drop, then cursed loudly.

"FUCKING HELL!"

 **XxXxXxXx**

She was dying, and she knew it. She'd seen it often enough with others. Her pristine white battle dress was stained heavily with her blood, the stain spreading farther with each passing minute. It was a gut wound, only achieved because her armoured breastplate had fallen off during the long battle.

It wouldn't be a quick death. It would be slow and painful. Gut wounds of this nature were impossible to fix outside of magic, and her magus had yet to appear so she was likely going to simply bleed out.

But why? Where had she gone wrong?

Was it when she'd taken the throne? No, her people loved her.

Was it when she'd raised some of her knights to stand on almost equal status with her? No, they'd proven even more loyal and determined.

Perhaps it was the start of it all, with that sword? Possible. Her life had definitely taken a strange turn there.

Or maybe it was listening that stubborn old man who claimed to be magi? Also possible. He insisted that she couldn't rule the nation while being seen as a woman. Insisted that she had to be called King. That was _beyond_ frustrating. And trying to explain it to him just made things worse!

Then there was the fact that she hadn't really aged more than a year for every five since she pulled that sword and started putting her kingdom together...

Oh, who cared anymore? She was dying. He wasn't there to even try and save her. Her kingdom could survive without her now, this had been the last battle. By God, that sounded like a boring life was ahead of her. One where, even though she had adamantly refused to be seen as a man, she doubted she'd ever find love.

Then a young man's voice broke into her thoughts, his tone rough yet pleasant.

"So, what is it with me and knight-like people? Do you think the Pieces are trying to tell me something, Tier? Titania? Pyrrha?"

She looked up and saw the slightly wry grin of a young blonde man with strange blue eyes wearing some strange kind of cloth-and-chain outfit that hugged his form. With him were three women, two older than him- one blonde the other a redhead -and one about his age (another redhead).

"No clue. But maybe we should help this poor woman who's dying? Perhaps before Akitsu freezes the entire country because those men attacked you?" The red haired woman said.

"Ah! Right, right. So, you're dying in despair, that's no good… left something undone? Maybe I can help?"

He sounded so sincere, as though he desired only to help her, that the dying woman just answered him.

"Always wanted to-" she coughed heavily, "fall in love... get married... have a family of my own."

"Hm… well, I could give you another chance at that, if ya want. You won't be human anymore, but you'd be alive to try it."

Her eyes hardened in an instant. There had to be more to it, right? Yet could she possibly ignore this chance to live like a "normal" woman? To be able to find love, the kind of love she had been denied by that old man and her oblivious knights?

 _No_ , she decided, _I cannot let this chance go. Even if it is at the cost of my responsibilities as King. I have the right to live for myself, too. As much as I love my people and country, I deserve a bit of happiness._

"Done!"

"You'd become my Knight-" He continued, trying to convey the sacrifice she'd be making.

"I said done!" She didn't want to hear it. She'd have another chance to find love? She was _not_ going to let that go. Even if it meant making a deal with the devil himself.

"-and my servant in the process, but I certainly won't stop you from trying to find that love you want-"

The woman growled in annoyance, "What part of 'done' do you not understand? As a King I already wasn't considered human, which utterly rankled by the way, add the lack of noticeable aging to that and I really don't care if I am literally not human anymore."

The young man blinked, "Well, if you want to put it that way… that sword of yours stays behind, though."

He gestured to an intricate-looking blade laying on the ground beside her. He could feel the Holy energy practically pouring off it. There was no way he was going to bring a Holy Sword from another world back with him. Nevermind the repercussions that such an act might bring, he also didn't want to get any closer to that thing than he had to! Unlike Aayla he doubted _he_ still possessed the human ability to touch Holy objects.

"Yes!" The word burst out of her chest with a spray of blood and an ecstatic smile, "One less headache! Besides, as your knight I don't need it. I won't be the King in this… whatever this is. It can be left behind for another to take up the mantle of kingship."

"I suddenly have the feeling that I'm almost rescuing you from your responsibilities more than death."

The woman reached up and grasped his hand, "No, no! Save me, I do not wish to die."

"Is it just me or did she manage to make that sound both honest and insincere at the same time?"

"It isn't you, Naruto-sama." Tier replied as she returned from... whatever it was she was doing.

"Ah… I thought not." He paused for a moment, then sighed, "I'm going to need your name..."

"Artoria Lily Pendragon," she introduced herself. "My knights used to say I was like a pure white lily, and considering that I wear-" she glanced at herself, "- _wore_ white, the name stuck."

The young man held out his hand, a glowing red statue of a unicorn appearing above his palm. "I am your new King, Naruto Asmodai. Welcome to the Peerage, Lily."

Lily smiled as she watched the unicorn statue float down and enter her chest, her consciousness retreating to a world of golden light. She didn't know what he was, but if this item of his could fix her wound she'd happily go with him, serving as a proud knight.

The proud Knight of Naruto Asmodai.

Naruto pretended to dust off his hands as he stood up and turned around to face empty air.

"You can show yourself now, goddess. I could feel your Divinity the moment you arrived."

A beautiful woman with long, silver hair wearing a dress that flowed like water appeared standing on the air he was looking at. She was tall, her body- what he could see of it –was lithe like a swimmer. Overall, Naruto figured that if he hadn't dealt with his hormones with Tier that first time a while ago he'd have probably tried to jump this woman, divinity or no.

"I am the Lady of the Lake," the woman said. "You may call me Elaine if it makes you feel more at ease."

"Alright, Elaine," Naruto said warily. "Forgive my abruptness, but goddesses don't just show up out of nowhere, away from their places of power, for no reason."

"Ah, if you're going to take one of my favorite daughters, would you mind doing your version of me a small favour?"

"Favourite daughter?"

"Why else would I have given up Caliburn for that foolish old man to use as a test? She may not be of my blood, but she is a child of prophecy, much like yourself, and Prophecy is one of my Domains. That makes her one of of my daughters."

"Alright," Naruto agreed, if only to get away from the uncomfortable subject of prophecy, "Depends on what the favour is, though."

"It is quite simple; that Me is quite distressed over the breaking of her Excalibur. The favour is to simply have this daughter of mine collect the fragments and recreate the original blade."

"Oh is that all?" He asked sarcastically as the women behind him tensed.

"Yes."

"Are you insane?!"

Elaine arched an eyebrow, "I'm asking a devil to reclaim and reforge one of the most holy weapons to ever exist, what do you think?"

Naruto sweatdropped, "Good point."

"Oh! Don't forget to get Avalon." Elaine said with a snap of her fingers, "That's been lost in your universe for a while as well, and its part of the set."

"That's the sheath, right?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, that's right."

"Yeah, that won't be a problem..." He sweatdropped again. Due to Gressen's journals he actually knew just where to find that particular item.

Elaine clapped her hands ans smiled, "Wonderful! Do you need any help in speeding you on your way?"

"No, we're good. And I'll collect on that favour from your other self."

"Oh?" Elaine said archly, "I was under the impression that this was the return favour for stealing away my beautiful Lily."

Naruto smirked, "Hardly. You see, this was her choice, her decision. I merely gave her the option, so even if you _were_ her biological mother there isn't really anything you can do to stop me. By all the rules, I am fully within my right to take her with me as she chose to go."

"Ah, I see." Elaine murmured, "you agreed to my condition because you think you can get something from my Other Self."

"Indeed," the blonde teen admitted. "Oh don't give me that suspicious face, it isn't going to be anything drastic. I have just come to the conclusion that you, and by extension your Other, have abilities in the area of Time Manipulation."

Elaine stiffened, "now I truly see. You wish for instruction in your Power of Domination, which is over Time. Your devil father had Death, and played with the natural order enough for his efforts to eventually backfire on him. Now you, his son by ritual, wish to master an aspect of the universe that few of any of the gods have ever had sway with. You walk a dangerous path, Lord Asmodai."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "I know what you speak of. The Power of Domination has a flaw, a recoil effect. Abusing, or overusing, the Power causes this effect to occur more often, generally shortening the user's lifespan. Oh, don't look so surprised, Lady Elaine, it doesn't suit you. My devil father left me his journals, telling me of the possible repercussions of using my Power."

He took a calming breath, and let it go. "I do not wish to play around with the natural order, as you so succinctly put it. I wish to understand my limits so that I do not leave behind those who have put their faith and trust in me before my natural time is up."

"So it is for your people, your peerage and the other servants of your House?"

"Yes."

Elaine nodded, "Very well. That is an acceptable goal, and one I can assist with. Then I shall arrange for eight lessons, one for each of the seven pieces of Excalibur and one for Avalon. Will this suffice?"

"Yes, that will be just fine." Naruto said, sweeping into a deep bow, "You, and your Other Self, will have my gratitude, Lady Elaine."

Standing straight again, just in time to see the honest surprise in the goddess' eyes, Naruto said, "Now if you will excuse us, we need to get Lily into a bed. Healing a wound like that one is going to take me time, quite likely all night. Good evening to you, Lady."

"Of course, Lord Asmodai," the Lady of the Lake demurred. "And a good evening to you and yours."

He gently picked Lily up into his arms bridal style, and called his escort to him, "Tier-chan, Pyrrha-chan, Titania, Akitsu-chan. Time to go."

The group gathered quickly, and vanished in a golden circle of light. Elaine just stood there and watched. Honestly the young devil had been right, he hadn't needed to agree to her terms. Lily had been given a choice and she'd chosen to go with him. The major rule that young Asmodai referred to was that of Human Choice, that all humans were born and gifted with the ability Power of Choice. The right to choose their own path, no matter what. Gods and goddesses and devils could put options in their path, but ultimately the choice belonged to the human.

Elaine let a smile curve her lips before she retreated to her lake. It was refreshing to find a devil who actually understood the rules, rather than ignored them. Maybe she'd let him in on her own little secret... one day.

For now she was content to sit back and watch, as she had always done. He was an interesting one, the weft and weave of prophecy surrounded him like a cocoon or a lover's embrace. That made him another of her children, another Child of Prophecy from yet another world. And she did so love her children.

The sheer level of entertainment she got from watching as they fumbled around was almost criminal.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Lily woke up to a strange circumstance. For the first time in a long time she awoke with a bedmate that wasn't her old friend Guinevere. Instead of Guin's looong dark hair- past her freaking ankles, how the hell did she manage that? - it was a shock of messy blonde. Instead of definitively female this new one was obviously male if the protrusion against her knee was any indication. And instead of Guin's very lithe frame the body next to her at the moment was very muscular, not bulky but built more for a combination of speed, power and endurance, much like a professional athlete. Guinevere was many things but athletic was not one of them.

Upon further inspection Lily discovered, by the running of her hands, that both she and the man were naked, and that she was very much pressed into his side. Not an entirely unheard of happenstance, but rare indeed. The last time she could recall was before she pulled that _fucking sword_...

Lily blinked. _Did I really just think those words? I haven't cursed since...I can't honestly remember. I think it was before I started the whole 'Holy Maiden searching for Love' thing that my knights despaired of._

"Awake are we? Feel something you like?"

Lily blinked again and found herself staring into amused silver-flecked blue orbs that seemed to be deeper than the oceans. Flushing slightly at being caught feeling him up she jerked away and sat up, drawing the white sheets with her to keep herself covered.

"Why are you in bed with me?" Lily asked suspiciously, her blush cooling quick as it came.

Naruto rose and stood, beginning to get dressed in his usual charcoal suit without any sense of self-consciousness. "Don't worry, your virtue is perfectly intact. It is simply that I have this thing about being there when my new peerage members wake up that I am here now. Well, that, and I still had to expend energy to heal you, the most efficient method I have for which happens to require as much skin contact as possible. Thus we were naked. I could have let Tier-chan heal you, but she's still working on her healing magic so that might have been hit-or-miss."

 _Hmm, nice muscles, those. Meant to be used, not merely for aesthetics. And that is one firm looking ass..._ Lily thought as she watched him dress, shamelessly ogling his backside.

He finished putting on his suit and turned to face her, finally taking in her lightly tanned skin and golden-blonde hair that reached just a little past her shoulders. Her pale green eyes were playful, but with a hidden steel. The gentle swell of her body was hardly what one would call lush or voluptuous, yet despite that he would never say she wasn't beautiful. But her beauty was more than her flesh, the spirit within her, the air around her, everything spoke of a powerful warrior who nonetheless managed to hold onto girlish childhood dreams.

In short, she practically screamed the ideal of a Knight by her very presence, and yet also seemed to be an innocent girl at the same time. It was both adorable and confusing.

"I also could have left you to the tender mercies of Albedo, but given her recent temperament that would almost certainly have been a miss."

"Why is that?" Lily asked. If this Albedo was one of his servants why would she have been a certain miss?

Naruto grimaced. "Unfortunately, Albedo had a not-so-hidden passion for my devil father. With said man's death several months ago, and the fact that she seems to have a fetish for wanton destruction, which I am afraid I have a certain penchant for, she seems to have decided to set her goal on seducing me."

Lily raised one eyebrow, "I understand, then, that this Albedo is a beautiful woman?"

"I believe 'lush' is the term to describe her." Naruto affirmed.

"What seems to be the problem, then? I was under the impression that most men would jump at having such a woman in their bed."

"I am not most men," Naruto countered wryly. "And she honestly scares me sometimes. Her level of dedication to the family line... well the word 'obsessed' comes to mind rather easily, and yet doesn't seem quite strong enough."

Lily winced. Her mind travelled to some of her most ardent knights; Lancelot, Gawain... Mordred- she still wasn't certain how Morgana had managed _that_ one, but Lily was fairly certain magic had been involved somewhere. Yes, if this woman was anything like them in her dedication then there was a severe possibility of something untoward happening.

"In any case, we have an appointment to keep, you and I. There is a copy of your dress on the side table behind you. If it will make you more comfortable I will wait in the hall. I assume you have questions, some of the others did, I will be glad to answer what I can on the way to said appointment."

Lily blinked, looked behind her, and sure enough there was what appeared to be a perfect copy of her favourite dress. Looking back to him she was in just in time to see the door close.

 _A gentleman devil? Okay, was not expecting that. He didn't leer, comment, or anything that even Guinevere would do on occasion. Of course she was trying to be funny, but still... how interesting. And by the White! That body..._

Quickly she got dressed, noting the high quality of the fabric as it seemed to caress her skin like a lover, leaving her face flaming red from the thoughts it invoked. Once the dress was on she took note of a set of armour that was almost exactly like what she once wore. Shrugging and thinking that her new king- that was the term he'd used, yes? -had simply had it fashioned after her old set she simply settled into it without a pause for further contemplation.

 _Though if this is steel, then I'm a man after all._

As she exited the room, which she saw was actually quite luxurious, she saw her king waiting for her. When he looked up she saw an approving smile cross his lips, lighting up his entire face and causing her blush to intensify a few degrees. She'd never been looked at like that by a man before. It was quite pleasant.

"Come, we can talk as we go." He turned and started walking while she easily fell into step behind him.

"How long-"

"Only a day."

She blinked, "how did-?"

Naruto chuckled, "the old 'how long was I out' is a favourite first question."

"Oh."

They travelled in silence for a few moments before Lily found her next question. "You said we have an appointment?"

Naruto nodded, "with the Archangel Michael. He's visiting for some reason, and only bothered to say that it was relevant to 'one who could wield the Light'. Now, while that could mean my other Knight, Aayla Secura, whom you will meet later, I get the feeling he meant you."

Lily stopped in her tacks, shock written across her face. "Archangel Michael? As in _the_ Archangel Michael?"

Naruto stopped and looked back at her over his shoulder with an amused expression. "Yes, I mean that one. He probably dragged his sister Gabriel with him, too."

"Gabriel's female?"

Naruto shrugged, "yeah, that book- the Bible, was it? -got so many things wrong in translation. Not that I'm surprised, it was written by biased men in a time where women were seen as little more than breeding tools, and other such idiocies were common. Then the translations started, and the original language does not lend itself well to translation." He turned back around and kept walking, forcing Lily to keep up. "Turns out quite a number of the Heavenly Host are women. Not that I'm surprised, mind you. I was raised in a place where there were more goddesses than gods, and our women were just as strong and terrifying as our men, quite often more so. It made being a man decidedly more difficult."

"Oh." Not that it mattered much to her, she'd simply heard a few names over the years. It wasn't like she herself followed the Christian God, though a few of her knights had. "Is this common? For a devil to be visited by archangels?"

Naruto laughed, and Lily found herself blushing at the attractive rich tone in it. "Hardly, but Michael is an old family friend from my father's time. They had a deal in effect that allowed my father and his people to operate in what would otherwise be extremely dangerous enemy territory. What Michael got out of it, I don't know. If it's mentioned in my father's journals, then I haven't gotten to it yet."

"Ah." She was quiet for a few moments, then asked her next question, "How exactly does this work? You said knight like it meant something more than just a man or woman in armour sworn to protect you."

"Ah, yes, that. It's quite simple, really. What do you know of the game chess?"

Lily blinked at the random question, "I know how to play, but what does that have to with anything?"

"A very great deal, my dear Lily," Naruto said cheerfully. "The item I used to reincarnate you was my second Knight Piece of what is called my Evil Pieces, which are all based off the pieces in the game of chess. One Queen, two Bishops, two Knights, two Rooks, and eight Pawns. So when I call you my Knight, you are quite right that it means more than a simple servant in armour to protect me."

"You forgot the King."

"No, no I did not." He cast her amused glance causing her flush to return. "Why else do you think I refer to you as _my_ Knight? I hold the King Piece, my dear Lily."

She cursed internally. She recalled calling him her King because she wouldn't be that in their relationship. She had no idea how that slipped her mind.

"So, what are my duties?" She asked, forcing her blush down and trying to cover her mistake.

He shrugged, "nothing major at the moment, training to use your new devil abilities for the most part. In the terms of the Evil Pieces, though? I suppose you would be considered my sword, to slay my enemies. Not that I really have any of those right now, I have the most astounding luck it seems."

His tone indicated that he meant something slightly different, but that it was also something of an inside joke, so she let it lie. No need to alienate her new master with inane questions that she was certain she would get the answers to later.

A woman with long black hair- almost as long as Guinevere's to Lily's shock –and all-white dress was standing by a set of stairs, head bowed. "The items you requested from the vault are prepared, Naruto-sama."

"Thank you, Albedo." Naruto gave the woman a peck on the cheek.

Lily was astounded. This was Albedo? She was gorgeous. And those curves... Lily would have killed for curves like those. Guinevere came close to them, but didn't quite match up. And the confidence/audacity to wear that dress...! Lily wished she could wear something like that, then she might have a chance...

"Naruto-sama?" Albedo said, surprised. That surprise increased when he hugged her.

Lily heard a brief mumble from Naruto as she witness Albedo practically become a puddle of joy as she collapsed in a boneless heap, a silly smile stretched across her face and a dreamy look in her eyes. Naruto chuckled and picked Albedo up, only to deposit her now-unconscious body on a nearby couch.

As he stood back up, he turned to Lily with a bright smile, "well, shall we continue?"

The remainder of the journey was in silence, not that it took much longer. Lily took note of the rich upholstery, the couches and chairs lining the hallways were of obviously fine materials. She saw the expensive paintings, some of which she figured might very well be some of the very first of their kind. She saw the rich ebony wood and marble that seemed to be the primary building material of the house itself, and felt it was just a touch gaudy. She hadn't thought the young man in front her would like such things.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by sound of doors opening as she was ushered into yet another richly decorated room, but this one was different. The furniture and wall hangings were indeed fine materials, velvets and leathers and silks, but they were more muted, more comfortable, more... humble. As if this was a room in which to simply relax and enjoy the company of others. Lily quickly cast her mind back to the room in which she had awakened, and realized that the decor was much the same as this one.

"Ah, Naruto, so good to see you again," a warm, soft voice broke Lily's ruminations.

She looked over to see a tall man with bright yellow hair in regal robes. Beside him in a slightly less embellished was a younger woman... also with blonde hair.

 _Blonde, blonde, blonde.. and I'm blonde, too. Waaay too common a hair colour. And why do these two put me on edge?_

"Michael, Gabriel." Naruto said with a smile and a nod, "You're both looking well. I've brought my newest peerage member, Artoria Lily Pendragon. She is the King Arthur of another universe."

Michael nodded, "I see. So that's what the fluctuations were about. Welcome, Artoria, to our universe. Young Naruto here has proven to be a rare example of his kind, much as his father was. I'm certain you will not regret your decision to join him."

"Thank you, Lord Michael." Lily said with a small bow.

"Boring!" The blonde girl beside piped up, "What are we here for, Brother? Not that it isn't good to see Naruto-chan again, but you said there was something important."

Naruto winced at the chan added to his name. He couldn't honestly refute her use of it, though. She was older than him by a fair amount. Not that he or any sane male would ever say so out loud, however. He did not have either a death wish nor a desire to sit through what would likely be a several hour lecture on not bringing up a lady's age.

"I felt a shift in the destiny of our universe, Gabriel," Michael explained, "and it centred around the newest presence of this House, someone who could 'wield the Light'."

"Oh!" Gabriel exclaimed in glee, "I miss that old phrase for Holy Sword users! It always sounded so much cooler!"

"Yes, well, I must wonder what it is you have in mind for Miss Pendragon?" Michael asked curiously.

Naruto grimaced and gestured for all of them to sit down as he took a seat in a chair. "Honestly, we've been given a request by that universe's Lady of the Lake. The retrieval and reconstruction of our universe's Excalibur."

Michael stared at him, eyes wide. "What?" He asked in a strangled tone.

"And this would be why I felt we should be sitting down," Naruto said wryly. "We're supposed to find Avalon as well, but that isn't a big problem."

"Oh, Why's that?" Gabriel piped up, already over the idea of a devil getting their hands on one of the four original Holy swords. Now she was just curious.

Naruto gestured to small table sitting between the two groups with a cloth-covered bundle on it. "There is a reason I had these two items brought out of storage in the family vault. My new Knight was going to need a new sword to use, and we just so happened to have a Holy Sword down there... along with something else."

He reached over and whisked the sheet off, revealing a gleaming silver blade with strange runes and a golden hilt, and a blue and gold sheathe. Michael choked on his own spit and Gabriel's eyes widened to improbable proportions.

Naruto turned to Lily and said, "This blade was broken by a god, and reforged by its wielder to protect what was important to him. So I think it would suit you fairly well… at least while you look for those fragments of the Lady Elaine's sword. Besides, the sheathe is already here… meet Avalon."

"Wait, wait. You not only have the sheath, you actually want me to look for those pieces she mentioned?" Lily asked incredulously.

"Yeah, that sums it up." The blonde man replied blithely, completely ignoring the flabbergasted expressions of his guests.

"Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why look for the pieces of that sword at all?"

Naruto gave the woman a deadpan stare, "If you hadn't noticed, she knew what her counterpart of this reality knows. Now I've done some stupid things in my life so far, but pissing off a goddess, especially one whose power over Time- as some legends indicate -equals or trumps mine, is not going to be added to that list. No matter how minor a goddess she's seen as. Add to that that her primary Divine Domain is said to be Knowledge... and you get a woman who will quite literally know if I should decide to renege on my end of things. So, no, I will not be pissing her off."

"You know, that does sound smart."

"Thank you. Now, here's your new sword and the sheath, you can start looking for those sword fragments in the library when you have time free from training. Word of warning, your trainer is a slave driver."

"Is that Gram?!" Michael finally managed to squeak out. Gabriel, it seemed, was still too shocked to form words.

"Hm?" Naruto turned back to his two guests, "Yes, yes it is. Gram, the Scandinavian counterpart to Britain's Caliburn. I figured it would be fitting, considering that Lily here used to wield Caliburn until she was dying. I made certain to leave that thing behind. Didn't want any kind of paradox thing going on, ya know."

Michael and Gabriel gave him identical deadpan expressions and said together, "Of course."

Because why should he care that he had one of the most powerful Holy swords in his possession? Why should he care that he also had a sheath that quite literally would heal anything short of a beheading? And why in the Underworld would it matter to him that the forces of Heaven had been searching for those artifacts, among others, for centuries? Besides, why _wouldn't_ he have them?

Michael, for the first time in his very existence, had a rather uncharitable thought.

 _That unfairly lucky little..._

 **XxXxXxXx- Omake**

In another afterlife, a white-haired man laughed while pointing at an image of a blonde half-devil. "Whose got the shittiest luck now, eh? Naruto?"

The cracking of knuckles from from behind was all the warning he got before he felt the Fists of Righteous Female Anger from no less than four women. One redhead, one blonde, and two raven-haired women tried their best to beat the afterlife out of the old man.

When they finished, the redhead said, "You would think he'd learn after all these years."

"Come now, Kushina," the blonde said. "Jiraiya never learned to keep his mouth shut in life, what made you think he'd learn in death?"

"That's not nice, Tsunade-sama." The older of the two ravens said reprovingly.

"It's true, though!"

"That doesn't make it nice to say," the younger raven replied primly.

Kushina laughed, "I see you've finally managed to corrupt a Hyuuga! And she's Hiashi's eldest no less! Nicely done, Shizune."

"I don't know what you mean, Kushina-sama." Shizune and Hinata said at the same time.

 **XxXxXxXx- Ending Notes**

*Okay, I'm going to say it now in an attempt to keep up with a timeline; at the end of this chapter a little more than six months have passed since Naruto became a devil, so there is approximately three more to go before Konan and Yugao pop according to average time.

*Also, I played a little loose with Gram's history. If you want to know the official story, look it up. The main thing is that both it and Caliburn were "Swords of Selection." Gram to select a Hero, and Caliburn to select a King. Honestly I'm not sure which job is worse.

*Next, I have been asked if the revelation of House Agares and its own Time Manipulation ability will play a role in Naruto's own mastery of his Domination. The answer is simple: Not really. The Agares are said to each have the ability to control time to a degree. Naruto's Domination trumps them by a great deal. Certainly he could ask for tips, but he already knows _how_ to use his Power. Now all he needs is more practise to refine it.

*Finally... yes, Saber Lily is joining the peerage as the second and final Knight. Others had occurred to me, but this one seemed more... fun. Mordred, Lancelot, Joan of Arc, etc. So many ideas for Knight went through my mind, some more ridiculous than others. Finally I just said "Screw it, I'll just grab someone not used much" and thus I found Saber Lily.

Current Peerage:

 **Queen:** Tier Harribel

 **Bishops:** Rias Gremory, Akitsu

 **Knight:** Aayla Secura, Saber Lily

 **Rook:** Titania

 **Pawn:** Pyrrha Nikos

~Dreaming of the Phoenix


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 01

 **Chapter 13: Adjustments pt8, A Meeting, And A Solution to Another Problem**

Lily stared at the four-armed insectoid before her, then looked back to Naruto standing behind her. Her first day of training as a Knight for the young man, and he gave _this_ as an opponent? A giant freaking _beetle?!_

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Cocytus is really quite good," Naruto assured the white-dressed knight. "Tier-chan and Aayla regularly make use of him as a sparring partner. So do I for that matter. His help has been invaluable in learning my bladework."

"He's got three swords and a pike!"

"Halberd, actually."

"It doesn't matter what kind of polearm it is!"

"He's got four arms, Lily," Naruto pointed out evenly. "Of course he's going to maximize the number of weapons he uses."

"Single weapon? Sure, faced those by the hundred. Dual-wield? Not nearly as common, but I've faced my fair share." Lily admitted, her voice a note shy of hysterical, "But _four arms on one person is outside my experience!_ "

"Think of it like a battlefield," Naruto said helpfully. "Each weapon belongs to another enemy, and they each rotate out or combine with another from similar angles."

Lily stopped freaking out and considered his idea. "That could work," she mused.

Honestly she wasn't really freaked out by the situation, it was just fun to act that way. And she wanted to see how Naruto would try to calm her down, partly as revenge for being so blasé about not only already having the sheath they were supposed to look for, but also the visit from the two arguably most powerful archangels. She liked surprises sometimes, but that was a little much for her first day on the job! So to pay him back she'd make him work at keeping her "calm".

It had taken her three days to fully get used to her new body, which was both lighter and stronger than her original. During those three days she had visited the library in the mansion to begin looking for information on the eight pieces of the broken Excalibur, did a meet-and-greet with her new peerage members, was introduced to the maids, had a few talks with Naruto about their respective pasts, and was allowed outside far enough to visit Titania's charger, Van. Oh, Lily just loved that horse! He was white, beautiful, powerful, and a handsome member of his species. She had always liked horses, often going to the trouble of volunteering to help out in the stables even when she was king. Lily didn't know what it was about them that drew her, but she knew she liked taking care of them.

Lily was brought out of her thoughts rather harshly by a violent kick to her midsection. Looking up from the ground where she was bent double, she saw what she could only guess to be an annoyed or pissed off giant blue beetle.

 _It's not fair! He's got no face! How can I tell what he's thinking if I can't see any expressions?!_

"Would you feel better if Aayla and I joined you?" Naruto asked.

"Marginally," Lily admitted. Honestly she wasn't quite certain what to think about this new life of hers, let alone her new contemporary in Aayla Secura. The blue skinned woman was an alien from yet another universe, which had thrown Lily for a bit of a loop at first. But the twi'lek woman's friendly personality won Lily over quickly, and her helpful advice on where to try looking for information on the Excalibur pieces only pushed the blonde further into liking her.

"Very well," the blonde man said as he retrieved his double-bladed sword. "Aayla, if you would? I believe we will be starting off with team tactics."

A strange _snap-hiss_ came from the cylinders in Aayla's hands as two different coloured blades came into existence, one blue the other green. "Seems like a solid idea, Naruto. My earlier workout doesn't seem to have been sufficient, perhaps this will allow me to work up a true sweat."

Cocytus for his part looked completely unfazed by this series of events. Of course given his general amount of experience in combat there was little doubt he had faced such numbers and odds before... though he found himself glad that the lightsabers Aayla brought into the match possessed a lower output feature for sparring. Cocytus had a tough set of natural armour, but he'd seen her warp and otherwise destroy a perfectly good block of Umbral Steel. While only about half as durable as Orichalcum, Umbral Steel was nothing to scoff at, and as such the damage done to it by those tools of the jedi-turned-devil was rather astonishing.

Then five more bodies added themselves to the array against him, and Cocytus found himself wishing for sweat glands. Tier's Tiburon was powerful weapon, Titania's new poleaxe was bright and shining and ready to draw new blood, Pyrrha's Milo and Akuou were obviously ready for use, and Rias with her not-so-little kris actually looked a little frightening. Even Akitsu had stepped up in this weapons-only spar, a bow and quiver of arrows in hand. Apparently since she decided to dress like a miko, she felt the need to equip herself like the old stereotype for them as well. Not that anyone was complaining, at least she'd chosen something that fit her battle style of keeping her distance, and while she didn't necessarily need to have real arrows- she could just make them out of the ice she controlled –they would be better for her against another being of ice like Cocytus.

Though the Knight of Gressen was glad that of all his opponents, Lily was using an approximate physical copy of Gram rather than the sword itself. _HE_ did not possess her or Aayla's ability to shrug off the touch of a Holy Sword. Gram could possibly still kill him if it scratched him, and he had no desire to try it to find out for certain.

"If it is team tactics you desire to learn, Naruto-sama," Tier said calmly, "I believe we should all get in on this."

Naruto thought about for a second, then shrugged. "Works for me. After all, I'm a shinobi, and if we aren't taking every advantage we can, we just aren't trying hard enough."

Eight on one? Oh, this was going to be interesting.

And fun, Cocytus could never forget fun. He _lived_ for the thrill of a good fight.

"I believe that if you are going for Team Tactics, Master, then we should be of aid to Cocytus."

Naruto twitched as Albedo and Shalltear joined the fray. Well, this just got harder. Then Sebas stepped up, and their chances dropped to "None" because "Slim" just left town on a bullet train.

 **XxXxXxXx**

"Alright, considering how many Pieces I've used, I felt it would be a good idea to touch base with each other, and see how we can get along outside of battle," Naruto said a few hours later in a large sitting room, after their unanimous beatdown at the hands of Cocytus, Albedo, Shalltear, and Sebas.

 _Eight on four, and the most we could do was make them work for their win. Not too surprising, I suppose, but damn that stings!_

Tier, at her accustomed place behind him and to his right, asked, "In what way do you mean, Naruto-sama?"

Leaning forward and folding his hands in front of him, Naruto replied, "I mean that aside from knowing each other's battle strengths, we should get to know each other on a bit more of a personal level. We've managed thus far only because we were a fairly small group, now, however, we are eight strong. Our schedules are going to begin to conflict, and we are bound to begin seeing more of each other, sometimes in times where we would rather not. This is also for Lily's benefit as she can meet all of you at one time and ask questions."

"How do you suggest we start, my King?" Lily asked from another couch, one she shared with Aayla and young Rias.

"I mean to learn certain landmines, our likes and dislikes, and maybe a bit more," he explained. "Example: Naruto Asmodai, formerly Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen, training, my peerage, and helping others. I have an extreme dislike for traitors, arrogant assholes, wilful stupidity, and perpetuated ignorance. I find myself beyond fortunate to have the attentions and affections of no less than three beautiful women, and hope that I can prove myself worthy of them in time."

"Excuse me, my King," Lily interrupted, "but did you just indicate that you have a harem of women?"

He pointed to Tier, "It was her idea apparently. Due to the old method used to change me into a devil my mind, the actual physical brain, was not properly prepared for the increased hormone levels, so she decided to take matters into her own hands and started the idea of a harem. Beyond that, I'm not really sure what was going through her head, but I learned long ago that arguing with a woman was damn near impossible."

Lily narrowed her eyes, this complicated things a little bit. "I see. Continue, please."

Naruto shrugged, "Nothing much more to tell, really. Or rather there is a great deal more, but it's all detail on what I've already said. The only thing left would be a dream, and I'm kinda still reworking that one, the last one no longer really possible. Though I suppose I still wish to have a large family." He took a glance around the room, "Who'd like to go next? Just a few basic facts is all that's needed."

Tier cleared her throat, "I will, Naruto-sama. Tier Harribel, Queen to our Master, formerly Tres Espada of Aizen Sosuke. I had no true likes before entering Naruto-sama's peerage, but have come to find myself in love with him and his ideals. Thanks to him I am no longer a Hollow woman, his emotions have filled my emptiness and sparked my own. I loathe cowardice and traitorous actions. My only dream is to follow Naruto-sama for the rest of my days, and to be of whatever use to him as I may."

 _What does she mean, 'Hollow Woman'?_ Lily wondered, not realizing the true importance of the statement. She wasn't given time to think about it, though, as the youngest in the room jumped up while waving a hand in the air wildly.

"OH! Oh! Me next! Rias Gremory, formerly the heir of the House of Gremory, one of the remaining 34 of the original 72 Pillars, now Bishop to Naruto-sama! I like anime, magic, Naruto-sama, and my friends! I don't like those who make fun of me! My dream is to make lots of friends and eventually fall in love!"

Lily blinked. "What's anime?"

Rias gasped theatrically, placing one hand over her heart. "You don't know what anime is?" She got a strange glint in her eyes, "That's it! Time for a Girl's Night! I'll be sure to introduce you to the awesome that is anime!"

Naruto smiled tolerantly. Rias sure had come a long way from the despondent and somewhat bored girl from when she joined his peerage. Granted that was partly his fault, his mental training had been partly passed on to her through the bishop piece now residing within her, but it was good to see her acting like a kid again.

"Okay...?" Lily wasn't really sure how to respond to that, but she liked the girl's enthusiasm.

"Ah... Akitsu, formerly Sekirei number Seven, now Bishop to Naruto-sama. I love our Master, and dislike anyone who would try to hurt him. I will gladly freeze anyone who makes the attempt into a living icicle. I am one of the three women to share his bed at night. My dream is to live with him and bear his children."

Lily shied away from the monotone, yet she found herself admiring the ice woman's dedication. Surely they would be able to come to an understanding, seeing as they served the same King. Then the final sentence echoed in the knight's mind.

"Wait, one of the three?!"

"Yes."

"You?!"

"Yes."

"Why?!"

"I am Naruto-sama's Sekirei. I live to love him."

"Ah, Lily?" Naruto interjected before anything else could be said, "It's a feature of her race. It is technically a form of parasitism, where they need love and affection from another person to continue living."

Lily blinked again, and got the feeling she'd be doing more of that. "Oh."

The blue skinned woman cleared her throat, "Ahem. My name is Aayla Secura, former Jedi Master turned Knight to our Master. I am of a race called the Twi'lek. I enjoy meditation, sword practice, hunting, reading, and occasionally cooking. I have also come to like serving under Master Naruto, as he always tends to end up in interesting situations and watching him get out of them is usually entertaining." Somewhere in another little pocket dimension as certain Lady laughed at finding another who enjoyed watching other people's misery. "I dislike traitors and those who refuse to try to better themselves. I am _not_ one of the women sharing Master Naruto's bed. My dream? I suppose I want to see true peace achieved."

Again Lily found herself blinking. "Okay..." She didn't quite know how to deal with this woman who shared her position within this group. She seemed incredibly polite and self-controlled, despite the small smile on her lips there was almost no emotion in her statement. A strange woman indeed, and yet Lily found herself willing to trust her.

The red haired woman in armour stood up from her place beside Aayla and gave a crisp salute. "Titania, once of the Crimean Royal Guard I turned to the Greil Mercenaries due to personal reasons and am now, currently, the only Rook of our leader. I enjoy reading, learning new things, meeting new people and cultures, and training. I dislike bigotry, arrogance, and racism. I am also not one of the women sharing Master Naruto's bed. My dream is very simple: I want to meet as many new cultures as possible, and learn from them."

Lily shared a nod of recognition with Titania as the woman sat back down, one soldier to another. This was a woman she could understand. There was no double meaning to her words, she said exactly what she meant, and she was blunt without being rude or impolite. Yes, Lily felt she would easily be able to make a friend out of the red haired knight.

Lily's eyes drifted to the last woman of the group, sitting on the third couch on the other side of Aayla. A young lady that looked to about their lord's age in grey and gold armour stood up to properly introduce herself, hand outstretched.

"Pyrrha Nikos, formerly of Vale's Beacon Academy for Hunters and Huntresses, I am now currently the only Pawn of Naruto. I, too, enjoy reading, training, and meeting new people. I have fallen in love with our King, and am the second woman to share his bed. I dislike bigotry, racism, and those who would spread rumours for no reason and without proper information. My dream at the moment is to see where my love with Naruto will take me."

Lily shook the girl's hand, "second woman? I assume that the first is not in this room, then?"

Pyrrha chuckled, "Oh no, she's definitely in this room."

The blonde blinked, then it clicked. It was Tier's idea, therefore, logically, she would have been the first one in line. Lily felt like kicking herself for missing that detail.

Clearing her throat to help push down her embarrassment, Lily said," I suppose it's my turn. I am Artoria Lily Pendragon, former King of England, now Knight to our King. I like animals, especially horses. I, too, dislike traitors and arrogance. I am proud of my achievements as a human, but my dream is to find love, get married, and have a family."

Pyrrha stared, "Wait, Pendragon? King of England? _You're King Arthur?!_ "

"I have no idea how they got my name wrong in history," Lily scowled.

"'History is written by the victors', Lily." Naruto quoted. "In this universe, in this timeline, it is fully possible that you were, in fact, a man by the name of Arthur. It is also possible that due to story of Mordred, all of the mentions of you being a woman were seen as typos, as 'everyone' knows that two women cannot make a child together. I suppose I could ask someone about it, pretty sure Demiurge or Sebas would know."

Pyrrha sat back down heavily, her mind blown. One of the most powerful and influential figures in history, and they turned out to not be a man as legend says, but a woman? Yeah, Pyrrha isn't coming back any time soon, so let's move on...

With the teenage redhead out of commission, Lily turned her attention back to her new King. "What now, my king?"

"Well, you might have noticed a general theme so far with your fellow peers," Naruto said humorously.

"You mean how, aside from young Rias and Akitsu, we all seem to be some sort of knight?"

"And me, Lily. I'm not a knight either."

"Then what are you?"

"Basically? I'm an assassin."

Lily's pale complexion drained of even that little bit of colour. "An assassin?! Like, sneak around and kill people without them knowing?"

Naruto shrugged, "that's certainly somewhere in the job description, I suppose."

"I'm following an assassin?!"

Naruto frowned, "Hey, it's not like I've taken a job since I gained my new position. And the few times I've killed someone while on the job they definitely saw it coming."

Lily blinked, her hyperventilation calming down. "You mean you never stabbed someone in the back? Slit their throat from behind? Anything like that?"

"Nope," he responded cheerfully.

"Then how are you an assassin?"

"I said 'basically', didn't I? I am a shinobi, a ninja," he explained dryly. "But since, like you all, I come from a very different world, the meaning of it is a little different than what others are used to. If I was to get right down to it, at the base I'd say we're more like mercenaries that can cover absolutely any field. Long range bombardment, close combat, mid range support, assassination, murder, protection, etcetera. It is simply that we started as individual clans in a warring time, and as such we tended to default to assassination since, on the whole, it's much neater and quieter."

"How can murder be considered neat?" The white knight asked in curiosity.

Naruto deadpanned at her, "because only the target dies, instead of everyone else that gets in the way on top of them."

She coloured a little, "Oh."

He smiled gently at her and Lily felt her heart skip a beat. "Lily, you must remember, just as we have no right to condemn your world, you do not have the right to condemn ours. The circumstances behind each of them makes us unique. If I could have brought peace to my world, I would have done so. However, due to the cycles of war, hatred, and revenge, we were locked into a course of self-destruction. My own home town was destroyed because a man went mad and declared that only when all of humanity was dead would they truly understand the idea of peace."

"The peace of the grave, perhaps," Aayla muttered quietly, but it was loud enough that everyone heard her.

Naruto nodded, "That was pretty much my reply when he told me. He didn't even try to deny it, instead he gloated, and we fought for a bit... Or rather, I should say I fought, and he played with me?"

"What do you mean, Naruto?" Pyrrha asked, finally snapping out of her... 'broken' state? Yeah, we'll go with that.

"I mean that I was about mid-chunin level at the time, and he was definitely above me." Naruto admitted without candour. "So I'd say it's safe to say that he was playing around."

"I'm sorry," Lily interrupted, "'mid-chunin'?"

"Ah, right. The shinobi ranks of my world went kinda like this: Academy Student, Genin, Chunin, Jonin, Anbu, Kage." He explained, "You could liken them to... um... good question. How would one liken those to the medieval knights? Anyone?"

"One could say it works like Squire, Footman, Mounted Cavalry, Knight, Knight-Errant, and King," Aayla supplied.(1)

Understanding flooded Lily's eyes, "So you weren't quite at the level of a knight, but you would have been part of the staple forces."

"Pretty much, yeah."

"I see. Please continue."

Naruto shrugged, "Not much more to tell. He was about to kill me when Melanie and her sister intervened, then a few moments later he fell over, like a puppet with it's strings cut. After that, a few other things happened, and I was brought here along with Yugao and Konan."

Lily gave a blank stare to her king, "You suck at storytelling."

He pouted, "I don't really, it's just that most of it is... weird, even for me."

"How so?" She asked curiously.

"Unintentional drugging, the fact that I was fully human at the time, getting both Yugao and Konan pregnant because of said drugs, having my false right eye replaced with my mother's, becoming a devil through an ancient ritual that didn't format my brain correctly to deal with the new incredibly high hormone levels, and more besides."

"Wait, back that up, you were human?"

It was Naruto's turn to blink, "Yeah, didn't I mention that in the past few days?" Lily shook her head. "Huh, I usually lead with that somewhere in my opening speeches. Oh well, yes, I used to be fully human. Is that a problem?"

"Well, no, but I thought you were born this way," Lily admitted.

"You mean a devil? Nah, technically I'm a half-devil, half-human, with my human blood suppressed into near dormancy," Naruto said. "At most I think I get some passive talents from my mother's human blood, the rest of me comes from my devil father's blood which replaced that of my human father."

"Oh." Well, that was certain forthright of him to say.

"Though, my devil father has played the biggest prank, or outright lie if you want to quibble about it," He said with a grin. "Damn near every devil thinks I'm his illegitimate son with some human woman. Only those in this house, or who knew him better, are aware of the truth. And I'm in no hurry to spill the beans."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're a prankster, my king?"

Naruto waved a finger, "Tut, tut, my dear Lily. I am not _a_ prankster, I am the Prank Master!"

She just deadpanned at him. Of course he was. Why would her new master be anything less than a master of pranks on top of being an assassin by profession?

He grinned, "Think about it this way, Lily. If, as a child, I could get even a Kage with my pranks, could I not then get even a Kage with my blade? What is a prank but a non-lethal trap?"

Lily blinked again, "I hadn't thought of that."

Naruto's grin turned wry, "Even among the shinobi, few did."

That statement caused everyone else to understand the level of their master's cunning. If even in a village of trained killers his pranks, his potential murders, went unseen as anything but something to laugh at... it was a terrifying thought.

"However," Naruto continued, "even though the job description entails silent killing, I was more of a trap-specialist and assault-type. In other words, I'm front-line and support/capture."

Lily's eyebrows shot up along with a number of others, Akitsu and Tier the only ones who didn't react. "An assassin on the front lines?"

"I told you, we were better described as mercenaries." He said with a grin.

"Apparently," she muttered.

"Hm?" Lily suddenly thought of something she really wanted to know. "My king, will you answer me this...?"

 **XxXxXxXx**

Several minutes later Naruto and his peerage stood in front of the Mirror of Remote Viewing, Kurama off to one side taking a nap. Looking down into the eyes of Lily, Naruto asked, "Are you certain, Lily? Do you truly want to know?"

She nodded firmly, her action echoed by the rest of the peerage. Naruto sighed, closing his eyes as he turned back to the mirror. His eyes opened a moment later.

"So be it, I promised to keep nothing from my peerage as I would need their trust and loyalty," the blonde said as he reached out to the mirror to set it looking in at a particular world. "If that same peerage wishes to know, then they may gaze upon it, the world I came from!"

The mirror lit up at the declaration, and the images within cemented upon a bright and beautiful world. But its beauty was torn asunder by enormous scars that littered the land, great craters and massive trenches carved into the very earth as though a god was having a tantrum. Naruto's peerage seemed both awed and dismayed at the destruction of what was otherwise a gorgeous world. Kurama opened one eye and took a look at the state of their former world, and snorted at the stupidity of it all before closing his eye again.

"What happened to it?" Lily asked in dismay.

Naruto shrugged, "My bet would be on a bunch of humans throwing a tantrum when they found out their plans weren't going to work."

"This is your world?" Aayla asked in disbelief. How could such a kind and hopeful man have come from such a wasteland?

"It wasn't always like this," Kurama said quietly, opening his eyes again, pain hidden within the depths of his crimson gaze. "There were times of peace and prosperity, the most notable during my creator's time. The time of Ninshu, before it was corrupted into Ninjutsu."

"Corrupted?" Rias asked.

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "According to Kurama, ninshu, the origin of ninjutsu, was meant as way for people to come together in understanding for peace. With the passing of the Rikudo Sennin, the creator of both Ninshu and the Bijuu, it wasn't long before someone discovered that using chakra was effective for murder, and thus was born ninjutsu."

"That's horrible," Pyrrha said, hands held to her lips in distress. "Is there even anyone left alive?"

Naruto's brow furrowed, "I don't know. Let's see..."

His other hand rose to touch the mirror and he focused his mind. The image of the world blurred, shortly refocusing on a mountain castle, manned and protected by what appeared to be both samurai and shinobi. Naruto's eye twitched in tandem with Kurama's as they both managed to catch glimpses of multiple village headbands.

"Seriously?" Naruto demanded of no one in particular. "It seriously took the ending of their very way of life for everyone to band together?! I'm starting to regret that Konan killed that guy!"

"You and me both, Brat," Kurama growled, his hackles rising.

Naruto blinked as something occurred to him. "Wait, why is there only one window? I was searching for all signs of human life..."

Kurama understood at the same instant that Rias and the others did. "That's because, for whatever reason, this is the last bastion of human life left in that world. Not even seven months and they've almost completely destroyed themselves. Wonder what did it?"

"Hey, Kurama, doesn't that castle look kinda familiar?"

"Hm... it looks like that one you saw from a distance in Oni no Kuni, the one with that priestess who could supposedly see people's deaths."

Zooming in on the image, Naruto saw a few familiar faces as well. "Gaara and Temari, but no Kankurou... I see Koyuki-hime? Isn't she the Daimyo of Haru no Kuni? What the heck?... Hey, those are Kiri headbands! I thought that was one of the first places Pain hit? Must'a missed a few... Oh shit."

Kurama took note of Naruto's now pale face, followed his gaze, and started laughing. "Oh man! Who'd-a thought that Nadeshiko chick would survive with a good portion of her village?!"

Lily and the others looked confused, "Is there a problem? Is she some kind of enemy?"

Kurama's laughter slowed to a chortle as he replied, "Not really. She was after the Brat because their mentors promised to have their students fight to determine a winner. Naruto won, but Nadeshiko village had this interesting little law about a female losing to a male..."

"If she loses, she must bring him back home and make him her husband," Naruto filled in hollowly.

"Look on the bright side, kid, no village means no law." Kurama said optimistically.

Naruto gave the fox a deadpan stare, "take a good look at her and tell me she doesn't look like she'd keep to it anyway."

"Hm, don't even have to look. She'd definitely keep to it."

"Exactly, whether out of duty, obligation, or just to keep part of her village alive." Naruto grimaced.

Kurama eyed the young devil, then sighed heavily. "Yet you're thinking of trying to save them even now."

Naruto smiled wryly and didn't bother to say anything. His posture proved Kurama correct, and no one in the room would deny it.

"Um I have an idea, Naruto," Pyrrha said. "You keep going on about something called Rejection, but doesn't the Underworld accept all existences?"

Naruto smiled, "indeed it does. Even better, despite the power of chakra, they're human, and humans are welcomed in damn near all variations of the universe. Albedo!"

The door opened a small bit and Albedo stepped through with a small bow, "You called, Master?"

"Get whoever you need and prepare a large reception circle! I'm going collecting."

"As you wish, Lord Asmodai."

 **XxXxXxXx**

Gaara stood on a balcony overlooking the remnants of life of his world. He was one of the two most powerful shinobi left alive, Terumi Mei, the Godaime Mizukage, being the other. He still barely believed the damage that had been done to his race, even he had died at one point, but through the self-sacrifice of Elder Chiyo of his own Sunagakure he was returned to life.

The sound of soft footsteps reached his ears as another person joined him. He didn't look at them, he didn't have to. He knew who it was already.

"Shion-san," he greeted the Priestess and nominal ruler of Oni no Kuni, or at least what was left of it. "Are you sure this is really the best place to be? The hordes of Zetsu may very well get through the barriers soon."

"Yes," Shion replied softly, her eyes never leaving the skyline. "This location is our only hope. It is here that I have seen a powerful figure arrive to save us, though we will be forced to make a choice."

Gaara finally turned to look at her. Her profile was beautiful he supposed, but he didn't really have much appreciation for physical attributes, though she certain had some good ones. Long platinum blonde hair was set loose in the breeze, her figure otherwise shrouded in the robes of her office, and the crown of High Priestess upon her brow. Her skin was porcelain white, her eyes a pale lavender, and her features angular, but not overly so.

"What choice?"

"Will we abandon this world, or stay? It is something each of us will have to decide for ourselves."

Gaara returned his gaze to the courtyard where the tents housing most of the remaining population of the Elemental Countries were. He could see the despair and hopelessness. It practically wafted off the men, women, and even the few children down there.

"Can't imagine too many would choose to remain."

"I imagine that there are some who would not wish to leave the only world they knew," Shion countered.

"And those would be the ones we wouldn't want with us," another woman said as she joined them at the railing.

"Mizukage-dono," Gaara acknowledged the newcomer. A beautiful woman in her own right, curves many women would kill for, long auburn hair held in a herring bone style, a blue combat dress that left just enough to the imagination that it caused most men to drool on sight, and a hint of playfulness in her jade green eyes, Terumi Mei was what every kunoichi aspired to be: lovely and deadly.

"I suppose you are correct on that, Mei-san." Shion admitted. "Yet I am loathe to lose so much as a single person of those gathered here, for we are all that remain of our people."

Mei sighed, and shared a look with Gaara. "I understand, Shion-san, I really do, but if we must lose some, then there is no recourse. We cannot waste time and energy trying to save those who do not wish to be saved."

"Agreed," Gaara said. "However, I truly wonder if this help you prophesied will actually come. Not that I doubt your ability, Shion-san, but as a shinobi I do no believe in a predestined future anymore. Not since one man took it upon himself to teach me that I could change it. Even if said man is now dead..."

"You might be surprised, Gaara!"

It was a voice that he hadn't heard in years, and he never expected to hear it again after the fall of Konoha. Gaara whirled around, and there, standing not fifteen feet away from him, was an oddly-dressed Uzumaki Naruto... maybe. The hair was right, the general height and muscle build, too, but the eyes... the eyes were wrong. Naruto had pure cerulean blue, not this silver-flecked ice staring at him.

Gaara frowned, "Who are you? You have the voice of a man I know, but the form is off. If you are a transformed enemy, you did a poor job on it."

The blonde in front of him laughed, a rich laugh that sent sent shivers up his spine. That laugh was right.

"I'll give you that much, my friend," the blonde said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "If I was a transformed enemy, whatever it is that's trying to kill you all, this would definitely be the wrong form to take. I mean, come on, the eyes are a dead give away, right?"

"Yes, they are."

The blonde shrugged, "Yeah, that's because I'm not Uzumaki Naruto anymore. I'm now Naruto Asmodai, head of the Asmodai devil family."

Gaara raised a curious eyebrow while Mei licked her lips, she liked what she saw. "Devil family?"

"Yeah, not demon, devil." The blonde teen grinned in a very familiar way, "Believe it or not, there's actually a difference."

"So you will claim to be my old friend, Uzumaki Naruto, adopted into a new family, and changed by them somehow to this new appearance?"

"Pretty much."

"Then I will be asking you a few questions to ascertain the truth."

"Fire away."

"Who were my teammates in our Chunin Exam?"

"Your sister Temari and brother Kankurou... by the way, what happened to him? I've been out of the loop for the last several months."

"Died to poison."

"That had to suck for him."

Gaara blinked, then shook his head. "No more questions needed, only Naruto could have that little tact."

"Gee, thanks." Indignant, thy name is Naruto.

"Are you certain, Gaara-san?" Mei asked doubtfully.

"Does it really matter?" Naruto asked quietly, "Whether I was Uzumaki Naruto or not, does it matter who or what I am now? I'm here with an offer to get you people out, to new lives where you'll have the opportunity to grow again."

"So long as we swear fealty to you, you mean." Mei said, just an inch shy of cynical.

Naruto shrugged, "Honestly, I don't care about that. This world was my home until the destruction of Konoha, and while it pains me to leave it behind I have new responsibilities I must attend to. This act of mine right here, right now, is my last effort to save something of it. Take my offer or not, I'll simply take those who agree to go."

Shion stepped forward, "Unfortunately there is are at least two others who lead our forces who must hear your offer before we can hope to give an answer."

"There is no need," an older man in samurai armour said as he came around the corner of the balcony with a young woman in tow. "We heard the offer, and Koyuki-sama has a question for this young man that can cement his identity."

"Yuki-hime," Naruto grinned. "It's been a while."

"If you are indeed Uzumaki Naruto, then yes, it has been," the woman replied evenly. Her short black hair contrasted her tanned skin well, her eyes were expressive and her lips were full and glossy. Her outfit was befitting a princess, yet utterly practical. Naruto wondered how she managed that one.

"So, what is the question?"

"It is not one I relish the answer to, but only a few could know the answer, and of those few the rest are dead." Koyuki said, her posture regal. "What was my reaction to your mission involving me?"

Naruto blinked, "Which one? The running away on the horse, the drunken stupor, or the world-class tantrum?"

The old man and Shion looked astonished at Koyuki as she blushed in embarrassment. Gaara... was Gaara, never changing his expression by so much as a hair. The former actress just hid her face in her voluminous sleeves while Mei giggled.

"Gotta be Naruto-kun, no one else could have put it so bluntly." She wailed from her sleeves.

"Indeed," Gaara agreed. It was the same thought he'd had earlier.

The old man stepped forward a half-pace and gave a short bow. "We have not been properly introduced."

Naruto returned the bow, causing Gaara to finally break his blank expression for shock. "Indeed we have not, but your reputation precedes you, Mifune-dono of Tetsu no Kuni. I am Naruto Asmodai, head of the Asmodai devil family, formerly Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure. It is an honour to make your acquaintance."

Koyuki peeked out from behind her sleeves, "He learned how to be polite?"

Naruto grimaced, "I had to. My new position puts me among the top-ranked figures of devil-kind. Had to be polite or I could land into more trouble than it was worth."

Gaara quirked an eyebrow, "didn't stop you when you were younger."

"I know," Naruto agreed with a grin. "And you have no idea how much I wish I could back to those times."

"I'm the Kazekage."

"Okay, then you might have an idea."

"And I am one of the five people responsible for these few hundred remaining human souls."

Naruto shrugged, "and I am now responsible for several thousand devils, plus nearly sixty-one million humans."(2)

They blinked and Mei asked, "Are you a Daimyo or something?"

"Yes, and no. I am one of the remaining thirty-four Pillars of the Underworld, my territory is just that damn large. My family used to be one of the Devil Kings, yes, but that title has become mostly ceremonial now, though I have put it to use with some of my dealings."

"How did you become the head of a devil house?" Gaara asked, intrigued. "Last I knew you were as human as I was."

"And so I was," Naruto shrugged. "But with the use of an ancient ritual half of my blood was changed out for that of my new devil parent... who passed on a few months back. If you want to get technical about it, I'm a half-devil with suppressed human blood."

"Something tells me you have to explain that a lot," Mei murmured.

"Eight times now," he agreed readily. "And I foresee another... possible seven."

"Why only another possible seven?" Koyuki asked.

"Because few people actually need to know, and eventually it just won't matter anymore." Gaara supplied, the shinobi in him easily seeing the answer.

Naruto nodded. "Now, I think you five have quite the question ahead of you: do you wish to leave this world and try anew in another, or will you remain? I have my people creating the transfer glyphs now, one-way, one-time use. They'll be large enough to accommodate everyone, but like I said: I'll only take those who wish to go."

"And what is a transfer glyph?" Mei asked.

"Think of it like a larger version of Namikaze Minato's Hiraishin, without the battle use." Naruto explained, "It will take us all from here to a prepared area on my family's grounds. Unfortunately I have something of a time limit, while the glyphs won't be ready for at least two hours due their size and complexity, I also cannot spend much more than three hours here. As I said, I have duties that require my attention."

Gaara nodded, "very well, we shall speak with the people and have those who agree gather. Where shall we go?"

Naruto smirked, "There's a nice hidden cavern behind the waterfall that can easily accommodate everyone here. My people and I are building this world's glyph in there."

Surprised, Shion asked, "how do you know about that cavern?"

"Because I arrived here half and hour ago, and like any good shinobi I did some recon."

 **XxXxXxXx**

"You know, honestly I expected maybe a few dozen to take me up on the offer and for the rest to be stubborn about it." Naruto noted blandly to Gaara who stood beside him an hour later.

"A chance to get away from certain death? My friend, I think underestimate the human resolve to live." The redhead replied.

"Yeah... that's not like me, but neither is jumping ship like this."

"True enough, but it's jump ship or drown in virulent water."

"Given those options, it's not really so surprising," Naruto finally acknowledged. Gaara was gracious in his victory and simply went silent.

A few minutes passed by in silence as the two of them watched the entirety of the remaining peoples of the Elemental Nations entered the cavern. Each of the were being instructed to stand in the glowing golden circle on ground that lit up the space.

"I have a proposal for you and your sister," Naruto said quietly.

"You aren't my type."

"... I walked right into that one."

Gaara turned his gaze to the blonde. "Jokes aside, what is it?"

"I have need for representatives, both in the Underworld and in another human world. You and Temari would probably be well suited the to the positions."

"..." Gaara returned his attention to the refugees. "I will speak with Temari, but I make no guarantees."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

Another few minutes passed, then Gaara broke the silence. "You could have summoned a toad to prove your identity."

"Only you and Temari knew me with that ability."

"Ah." Gaara was quiet for a few more minutes as the refugees continued to pour into the cavern. "Terumi-dono will have more questions for you, and is quite the determined woman."

Naruto grimaced, "I figured. Her expressions remind me of one of my new servants on the other side."

"Dedicated?"

"Like Oonoki and his fence."

Gaara had the grace to wince. He read easily between those lines. A zealot would be less dedicated than the person Naruto was thinking of. The Kazekage was filled with sympathy for his friend. Then a thought struck him, and he glared at the blonde dryly.

"You intend for me to shoulder that burden, don't you?"

No reply was forthcoming, but the evil grin on Naruto's face spoke volumes. The expression was enough for Gaara to rethink accepting the offer to leave. He didn't know how, he didn't know why, but he shuddered at the thought that this could very well be the largest prank the blonde had ever pulled off.

Naruto slapped him on the back, "Don't worry so much, brother. Everything will be just fine."

Gaara was still weighing his options when he took his own place in the circle and everyone was transported to a new, uncertain future.

 **XxXxXxXx – Ending Notes**

1- Okay, it doesn't quite equate like that, but it was the closest I could come to it. That's because there really isn't a proper way to compare the two lists.

2- The current population of Italy is about 60.8 Million. Italy is his original territory in the human world, so he's technically responsible for them.

Current Peerage (and Familiars)

 **Queen:** Tier Harribel (Undine)

 **Bishops:** Rias Gremory (Devil Bat/Magic Bat), Akitsu

 **Knight:** Aayla Secura (Gryphon), Saber Lily

 **Rook:** Titania (Celestial Charger)

 **Pawn:** Pyrrha Nikos (Magic Wolf)

 **Now, I've had people ask me about what I was going to do about the Elemental Nations, and some have said that Naruto wasn't the type to just give up on his homeland like that. True enough, but that is CANON Naruto, not mine. So here is what I have imagined for the "Fate" of the Elemental Nations.**

~Dreaming of the Phoenix


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** I had someone tell me that Excalibur was split into seven pieces, not eight. I am well aware of this, but this person apparently wasn't paying attention when I included Avalon in the set, which makes eight. So... Mister/Miss/Missus UR, might I suggest taking a bit time out from whatever else you are doing, and actually pay attention to what you're reading? Here, I'll even do the math for you: 7 Excalibur Swords + 1 Avalon Sheath = 8 pieces.

Thanks.

 **Disclaimer:** See chapter 01.

 **Chapter 13: New Siblings, Confirmation, New Pawn.**

"Let me get this straight," Temari said as she and Gaara stood with Naruto in the Asmodai ritual chamber. "You want to use a ritual to turn Gaara and me into your siblings?"

Naruto nodded.

"A ritual that you have admitted to having a few bugs, like an increased libido?"

Naruto nodded again.

"Are you insane?" Temari asked calmly.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow, "I asked someone else that question not too long ago."

"And what did they say?"

"Nothing really pertinent to your question."

"Oh... so?"

Naruto sighed, "I'm a devil, former shinobi, I got my two original companions pregnant _before_ becoming a devil, I've been building a group to fight alongside me, my devil father apparently had a chummy relationship with the powers of Heaven, said powers now almost seem to view me as a little brother, and I've been living in this madhouse for almost seven months. What do you think?"

"Fair point."

Breaking into the conversation, Gaara asked, "Aside from the increased hormones, is there any downside to this?"

Far from annoyed, Naruto was thankful for the interruption as he shrugged, "Not that I've noticed. The hormone thing seems to be a kind of adaptation that devil-kind underwent to try and counterbalance their low birth rates. Probably something along of the lines of 'if we fuck more often, maybe we can get more offspring'."

"Wait a minute!" Temari exclaimed, "aren't you hiding the fact that half of you were originally human? What about us? Dad may have been an enormous prick, but I don't wanna just ignore him."

"It's simple, I'll just claim you both as my adopted siblings. It'll be fully legal, and while there will be mutterings that this ritual was used on me, the only father I have memory of is Gressen Asmodai. I know, on an intellectual level, that he wasn't my birth father, but I honestly don't care." He said with a shrug. "As far as the Underworld community will be concerned, I just found a couple of lost branch members and brought them back into the fold."

Gaara and Temari blinked. That sounded like it could work.

"Any other advantages?" Temari asked. If she was going to do this she wanted to know more.

"You mean aside from the longer lifespan, the political might needed to protect our people, the wings with which to fly..." Naruto paused to see if this made any change in her posture. It didn't. "Well there's the family magic, which could become damn near anything, I guess."

"What about Summoning contracts? I have one with the Weasels, and I don't really want to lose it." Temari said.

Naruto shrugged, "Nothing really happens. I still have the one for the Toads, hell I train over there at least once a week to keep Ma from hitting me with that pan of hers. So as long as you retain your chakra system, which you will being only half-devils, then it should be fine."

Temari raised an eyebrow. "Ma?"

"Shima, the wife of Fukusaku. Together they're known as the Toad Sages, and she just has everyone call her Ma. No matter who you are, she'll treat you just like one of her own kids." Naruto explained.

"Ah," she turned to her brother. "What do you think Gaara?

The red head glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "I am going to take the offer."

"What?" Temari spluttered in shock.

"I owe Naruto a great deal, my very life and even my sanity. Now he has asked me to become his true brother, not just one in spirit. I will accept. You do what you feel is right for you, Temari."

Temari looked torn, but then sighed. "Yeah, right. Like I could leave my only brother alone in a choice like this. I just hope I find a good guy before my new hormones break down my will."

Naruto shrugged, "Hey, I managed a bit more than four months, so I suspect you could do at least that much."

"... Let's get this over with," Temari muttered.

"Oh, I should mention that the markings for the ritual for the recipient go on their torso. Much like certain high-level fuinjutsu."

Naruto looked into the eyes of Death's Avatar at that moment. He gulped. Well, if he survived this he'd have seen a sight he doubted any man other her eventual lover or husband ever would again. He was never so thankful for his ability to Dominate Time as he was at that moment. If nothing else it would give him the opportunity to run and hide. He may not be inferior to her in skill or power, but every man of his world knew that a pissed off woman is one the scariest things around, and a pissed off kunoichi was worse.

Now he was going to make her into a kunoichi with magic? What the hell was he thinking?

 _Upside, after this she'll be my sister, and even devils don't do incest without some serious reasons, so it isn't as if someone will expect her to end up in my bed... right? Oh God *wince* I hope that doesn't come to pass..._

 **XxXxXxXx**

It took Gaara and his sister five days to wake up from the ritual, and now Naruto sat on what he thought was an overly pretentious throne in a grand hall. Temari stood to his left while Gaara was to his right, and both his peerage and Gressen's stood arrayed before the dais.

Naruto cleared his throat, "I'm sure you're all wondering just what I've been up to the past few days. Well I will answer that question now. I have adopted these two as my siblings. Through the use of the ancient ritual they are now my brother and sister respectively." He paused for a moment to let that sink in, and oddly he could see no outward reactions. "They will be introducing themselves now."

"Gaara Asmodai," Gaara said as he stepped forward. "I will not betray the expectations of my new brother or this House."

"Temari Asmodai," Temari followed on Gaara's heels. "I will not betray the expectations of my new brother or this House."

The two of them didn't look much different save that their eyes now had the same silver flecks that Naruto did in their teal depths. In effect it wasn't really a big difference, but Temari said it might take her a bit to get used to.

Naruto stood up, and for the first time since he gained his position he unleashed his full presence. "I am Naruto Asmodai, I have accepted these two as my brother and sister. What say you, my servants?"

Unsurprisingly they all knelt in tandem to presence they felt inspiring awe in them, but it was Albedo who spoke first. "As our Lord desires, so shall it be. Glory to the House of Asmodai!"

The rest of Gressen's peerage echoed her, "Glory to the House of Asmodai!" In their eyes he was finally showing his potential as their lord, as their master, and they could not be happier for it. His presence was heavy, powerful, and it showed them his true might, that which he subjugated so as to not draw attention to himself, just as his training as a shinobi would dictate. While concealing his presence may have slowed his progress in his training, as he most likely had to continually suppress it, they had little doubt it would pay off even greater dividends.

Plus, if it meant that they also had more to hold the blood of the Asmodai, then that was even better! Though Albedo was fully aware that she was about to cream herself from the dominating aura her lord was letting off.

 _The Sleeping Dragon has awoken. Not in rage, but in his true mind. Long may He reign!_ Albedo thought to herself. Her devotion to her master knew no bounds, and she would gladly follow this master of hers into the very depths of Heaven itself should he desire it.

Tier followed shortly, "As Queen of your Peerage, I, Tier Harribel, welcome your new siblings from the bottom of my heart." This was the man she had fallen in love with, this forcefulness, this awe-inspiring presence. This was the presence of the man who had filled her Hollow Heart with emotions and showed her that there was so much more to her existence than mere sacrifice.

"Your Bishop, Rias Gremory, welcomes your new siblings, Naruto-sama. May they bring good fortune to this House." The young girl said, her respect for the blonde man upon the dais reinforced with the authority his words were laced with. This was a man she could follow, even born to another of the noble Pillar Houses as she was, for this was the man with the authority to save her from a fate worse than death.

"Your Knight, Aayla Secura, welcomes your new brother and sister, Master Naruto." The twi'lek said, her questions about whether this young man was worthy to follow were answered. He had gone to a world of strife and rescued what life he could, and now he was going to assist that life to flourish. His elevation of these two as his siblings also told her that he still trusted people. It was all good to her.

"Your second Bishop, Akitsu, welcomes your new siblings with all my heart, Master." The Sekirei said. This was her Master, the man she had been determined to love come Hell and high water. If these two could aid in lifting his heart free of the burdens she sensed he had, then she would gladly welcome them. All for the sake of her beloved Ashikabi, her Master, her Dearest, her Naruto-sama.

"Artoria Lily Pendragon, thy second Knight, welcomes thy new siblings into the fold, My King. May thy lineage continue to grow and flourish." Lily said as she brought her sword hand over her heart. This presence, this was that of a King, a man who would make the difficult decisions needed to bear the weight of his kingdom. This was a man worth following for the force of his ideals alone, and she knew without a doubt that she would never follow another King as long as she lived. Even if they held the mantle of Asmodai, only Naruto would ever be her King.

"Your Rook, Titania of Crimea, welcomes these new additions, my Lord. May they be a blessing upon your name and House." Titania said formally. The presence he gave off was surprising to her, having never felt anything like it. The closest was her former commander, Ike, when he was in battle. But even that fell far shy of this feeling. It was as if, if she were to voice anything but compliance, he would be disappointed in her despite accepting her judgment. Thankfully she really didn't mind this new development, so there was no reason to withhold her welcome.

"I, Pyrrha Nikos, Pawn of Naruto Asmodai, also welcome them." Pyrrha said shortly, her breathing a little difficult due to her sudden desire to grab Naruto and run off to the bedroom to do _things_. This aura of power and authority was intoxicating to her, sending shivers straight to her very soul. She wasn't typically the kind of girl to be swayed by such things, but she remembered that this was a new life and as such she could allow herself to change on that score at least this once. And if nothing else it proved to her that her feelings weren't just manufactured by their Bonding.

Naruto nodded and sat back down, his aura dispersing back down to more tolerable levels. "Tolerable" in this case meaning that Albedo was no longer looking at him like a starving man would a well-cooked steak. Now? Now she was undoubtedly just horny, if that expression of frustrated-near-rapture was anything to go by.

"I'm glad to know that those I trust are in agreement with my decision." Naruto said with a smile. "Now, to get them adjusted properly for their new positions I'll be assigning some of you to tutor them. Demiruge!"

"Yes, Lord Naruto." The red suited demon replied instantly.

"You will be of greatest use in tutoring Temari. I know you have many other projects, but this is more important right now."

"As you command, my Lord." Demiurge replied with a bow.

"And Albedo," Naruto said. "I wish for you to teach Gaara. I believe your guiding hand as a fellow defence-minded individual will be invaluable."

"As you desire, Lord Naruto." The demoness replied. Dammit, now she'd have to wait to cool off! But it was the order of her master, so she'd just put up with it.

"Sebas, between your duties I would like you and the Malachite sisters to make the rounds of the new arrivals. Get their predispositions, see what we may need for staff around here, who wants to stick around, who doesn't, and bring them up to speed on the human realm. The technological differences alone are immense."

"As you say," the elder devil said.

"Then, that concludes this meeting. I will be out meeting with the refugees personally. Lily, you shall accompany me. While I do not fear these people, for the most part they do not know me. I wish to rectify this. Who knows? Maybe it will make Sebas, Melanie, and Militia's task easier."

"As my King wishes."

 **XxXxXxXx**

"Why exactly are you doing this, Master?" Lily asked as they left yet another small band of grateful refugees. The people had grouped up primarily by... actually, it seemed as though they were just sticking around those they were comfortable with as they definitely weren't grouped by nationality, gender, age, or any other method she could see.

"My dear Lily, I may be a devil, and head of my house of relative evil, but I am not without compassion. These people need to know the face of their benefactor, the one who will aid them in starting new lives, either here or in the nearby human realm."

"Relative evil?"

"Well this is undoubtedly a humanitarian action, so the evil in it is somewhat hard to see."

"... You're using it as an excuse to get away from the paperwork," she accused.

"Don't have to do that," he replied promptly. "I have a couple Kage Bunshin working on that as we speak. They'll sort out the pieces that I actually need to deal with, and do the rest themselves. Some of the papers I've been dealing with otherwise could have simply been dealt with by someone of the blood of the Asmodai."

"Which is where Gaara and Temari come in," she realized.

"Partly, yes." Naruto admitted freely. "The fact is that I chose them because I know them. Of all the people we saved they are easily the ones I trust the most. Koyuki has gotten better since she took over as Daimyo of her country, but I don't think she wants that level of responsibility again. That and I am bound to increase the amount of Asmodai blood out there, and without children this is perhaps the easiest way."

"You may ruin your father's name," Lily pointed out.

"Yes and no. Gressen never actually said he was unfaithful to Kethry, he simply let others think it. In this case I will merely tell them I have adopted these two, which is perfectly legal."

"True enough," the white-themed Knight allowed.

"So you have two new siblings, hm?" A voice said from behind him. Naruto stiffened, he recognized that voice.

"Hello, Tiamat," Naruto said as he turned around to face the human form of his dragon business partner. "Yes, I have two new siblings. I was going to introduce them to you in a couple days when we had our next scheduled meeting."

"Is that so?" Tiamat said as she drank in his unleashed presence. She had sensed it all those months ago, briefly, the rage and power to contend with a dragon. Now it was in plain sight, but not in anger, but rather in calm contemplation. It was simply there, like a dragon that was watching you stumble around its lair in amusement. It was... intoxicating. Nowhere near her level, but impressive nonetheless. In a few short years it could be of an appropriate level for her to submit to, which impressed her greatly. "Well then, my young dragon, as I am already here..."

"Yes, of course," he picked up her meaning easily, even as he decided to file her new nickname for him away for future contemplation. "I am in the middle of something, but if you wish to tour the people here with me, you would be welcome."

"Very well," the dragon replied magnanimously as she fell into step beside him. "I see you have acquired new members for your peerage since I last saw you."

"Naturally," he said as they moved on. "This is Artoria Lily Pendragon."

Tiamat raised an eyebrow, "so you managed to collect King Arthur?"

"You're not surprised King Arthur was a woman?" He asked curiously.

"You forget, I was around during that time," Tiamat pointed out. "I know that Arthur was actually a woman, and that Morgana used an ancient ritual-even by that era's standard-to create Mordred after acquiring some of Arthur's genetic tissue. I just never bothered to learn Arthur's real name as at the time I was a little preoccupied trying to figure out how to become the Third Heavenly Dragon."

"Ah, yes," he mused. "Well Lily here is from another universe, one where she never lost the right to Caliburn and had to get Excalibur as a replacement."

"But Caliburn and Excalibur are two of the original Four Holy Swords..." Tiamat trailed off.

"In this universe, yes," Naruto agreed. "But not in hers. In this universe Caliburn, Excalibur, Durandal, and Ascalon are the Original Four Holy Swords. In hers, well... I believe another sword, Dwrnwyn, is said to be the basis of all Holy Swords."

"Not quite," Lily murmured, "but the original in my universe was never named. It was held by a man who became known as the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh."

Naruto blinked, then shrugged. "I stand corrected."

Tiamat rubbed her forehead as Naruto made some quick small talk with another group of Elemental Nations refugees. All this talk of other worlds was annoying, and induced a rather large headache. While Tiamat would admit to a preference for intelligence in her desired master, the level of confluence and potential paradox was getting a little ridiculous.

"Just... just tell me you left whatever sword she was using behind in that world," the dragon said quietly.

As they left the group of refugees Naruto gave her a quirked eyebrow. "Of course I did. I have no idea where Caliburn is in our universe, but I was absolutely certain that adding a second one would be a big problem."

Tiamat snorted in disbelief. "'A big problem' is putting it lightly, Naruto. Two copies of Caliburn in the same universe? The only reason we don't have paradox issues with the Excalibur fragments is because each of them is recognized as a single blade and given its own designation; Destruction, Mimic, Rapidly, Nightmare, Blessing, Transparency, and Ruler."

"Those names kinda give away what they do," Naruto commented as they approached the final group and he saw a face he had hoped to never see again. Shizuka of Nadeshiko was a beautiful girl, long black hair in a high ponytail and hime cut bangs, large chest that many a man would kill to touch, long legs and lithe body that was covered by a form-hugging bodysuit with a bit of extra armour to cover her chest... though she left a hole right over her cleavage, presumably to take advantage of the idiots who ogled her instead of fighting. In that area alone Naruto was glad to have had Jiraiya as his teacher, the old man got him desensitized to beautiful women pretty damn quick.

"That was probably the point of them," Tiamat agreed agreed quietly.

It was then that Shizuka managed to put a name to the face she was looking at, "Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Naruto Asmodai," he corrected. "Used to be Uzumaki, but adoptions via ancient rituals kinda supersede previous names."

"You won our match." She said, foregoing the usual niceties. He liked that about her.

"I did."

"You declined to become my husband."

"I did. You and I had others in our hearts."

"My other is dead."

"My condolences. My own is as well."

"Will you still refuse me?"

His eyes narrowed as he took in her slightly red eyes and cheeks, as if she had just been crying. "You still grieve, and I have new responsibilities. Your village is also gone, and with it your laws. You are free to choose your own heart's path, as am I."

"And if I was to insist?"

"I think I may have to ask my friend Kurama to eat you."

"Your friend?"

"A rather large fox with nine tails."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Quite the friend."

"I'm aware. Will you insist?"

Her gaze softened, "a month ago I would have. Today? Well, today is the start of something new, so no, Milord, I will not insist."

"Milord?" He asked incredulously. His reaction was mirrored in the raised eyebrows of the two women accompanying him.

"You saved our lives, brought us to a new world, and I would guess that you are going to help us further as well, possibly by helping us settle into new ways of life. For the first one alone I would have sworn myself to your service," she fell to one knee, her head bowed, "together they cement my choice, Milord."

He looked down at her and resisted the urge to facepalm. "This is gonna be the part of your village you cling to, isn't it?"

Shizuka looked up at him with a mildly impish grin. "Yes."

Naruto let out a pent up breath, "Alright. If you know of any others that wish to follow your example, find the purple haired pregnant woman named Yugao. She and another woman called Konan are to bear my human offspring soon enough, and as such I'll leave the organizing of any shinobi to them."

"As you wish, Milord."

With that Naruto turned and left, Tiamat and Lily in tow. "If I just inadvertently created a new Hidden Village... I blame Konan," he muttered quietly.

Lily didn't know what he was talking about, but she nodded along with Tiamat anyway. It was a safe bet to blame one of the two human women for Naruto's random unintentional effects. Tiamat would personally just add it to the list of strange shit about her potential contractor.

"By the way, Tiamat, have you decided on what to branch into after our conquest of the publishing world?" He asked innocently.

The dragon narrowed her eyes in suspicion. No devil was truly innocent. "Not yet, why?"

"I just thought you might be interested in the area of movie production," Naruto said blithely. "I recently found an actress of rather extraordinary talent, but she's an unknown in the human realm."

"Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?"

 **XxXxXxXx**

"Yo! Brat! That mirror of yours is slowing down again!" Kurama's call to Naruto a few weeks later as he sat with Gaara and Temari going over some of the family finances. Getting a large group of refugees up to speed and integrated with the Asmodai family servants-none of them decided to leave-wasn't cheap. So the money of the family had to be balanced against the gains so as to hide the new influx of people.

They did _not_ want to explain where all the new chakra empowered humans came from.

Naruto blinked, "Seriously? That was quick. Should I take a guess, or is it another knight-type?"

"Oh, no. This one breaks that pattern I'd say."

Naruto was up and running, Gaara and Temari on his tail in curiosity. They had heard about the Mirror of Remote Viewing and how it had played a role in helping to save their group, now they would actually get to see it. It didn't take long to get to the Mirror's room, honestly it was in a large antechamber just off Naruto's office.

Looking within the depths of the Mirror, Naruto started chuckling, then burst into full-on laughter. "Oh yes! This breaks the pattern alright! About bloody time, too!"

While Rias and Akitsu were nice breaks, they were also his Bishops. If a magic-caster, a wizard-type, didn't get the Bishop Piece... well, something was obviously not right.

... Or there was a cosmic joke going on that no one was willing to tell him about. That was possible, too.

Kurama peered at Naruto out of the corner of his eye. "You gonna take a few with you? Might need 'em."

Naruto shrugged, "Yeah, I think Lily should join me at the least. Other suggestions? Let's keep the group kinda small for now."

The fox snorted in agreement. "Sword and Destruction wouldn't be amiss."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully, his mind already sending out silent summons. "Lily and Rias... good choices."

Kurama huffed and pointed his snout into the air haughtily. "Of course they are. I made them."

Naruto wasn't going to touch that comment with a thousand-foot pole. _Too easy._

 **XxXxXxXx**

In the once-dark capital of Ostrheinsburg a woman sat propped up against the inside wall of a castle, dying of horrible injuries. Her tight red bodysuit was now liberally darkened with her blood, and her slight pieces of armour were utterly demolished. She might have been beautiful, but with the blood caking her features it was difficult to tell. Yet she had a calm and accepting smile on her lips.

 _My task is finally complete,_ she thought to herself. _My clan is avenged of the wrongs done in its name, my leader free and clear to make his way to the Pure Realm, and that damnable sword is destroyed. And while evil will always be within the hearts of mankind, that is not my worry._

Slowly and carefully she opened one eye to reveal a dark orb. Already her strength was waning as her vision blurred heavily. Yet despite this she could still readily see the form of an armoured man laying upon the ground not too far away.

 _Sigfried, I am sorry it had to be this way._ She thought sorrowfully as her strength continued to bleed out of her. _You were a noble man, once, twisted by your need for revenge by that detestable shard of Soul Edge, then saved and manipulated by Soul Calibur. I can only hope that I have freed you of that curse._

A faint sensation of wetness fell upon her face, and her bleary gaze drifted upward to the cloud-covered sky. _Rain? I see, so there will be those who will mourn my passing. I am truly blessed. Though I wish I didn't have to die to complete my mission, so be it..._

 _Sophitia, my friend. I am sorry, but it seems I will be going on ahead of you. I pray you managed to save your husband from the Evil Seed, and have reconciled with that sister of yours. Cassandra is too stubborn for her own good. I wish I could have seen you raise children of your own, but it does not seem to be in my fate._

The woman's eye drifted closed again. Her strength gone, finally abandoning her.

Her world then lit with a brilliant golden light and she felt her strength cease leaving her. In fact she felt fully mobile. That didn't seem right. She was dying, right? Shouldn't she be weak? Yet she felt a new strength fill her.

"I don't normally do this," she heard a young man's voice mutter, "but I normally also have the time to explain things. For what it's worth, I promise to explain when you regain consciousness."

The woman let herself be carried away on the tide of power and strength. It was pure, untainted by evil. Only a desire to be understood and loved tinged the energy, and she could readily agree with such sentiments. Deciding that she could always reverse her course later, she let the power wash over her, and felt it be bolstered a few minutes later by another, greater well of energy. She swore that greater well had to be the true source of what was saving her life.

In the end her mind slipped into restful slumber.

 **XxXxXxXx**

She didn't know how long she drifted on that ocean of golden energy, but eventually she awoke. That alone surprised her somewhat. She had interfered in a duel to death and been horribly wounded in achieving her mission. She should be dead, yet she awoke. Her eyes were gummy with exhaustion, but she was awake.

With what felt to be a great effort she opened her eyes, wincing slightly at the light filtering in through the open curtains of a window to her left. Her eyes stared blankly at the sky she could see for a moment, trying to explain what was wrong with it...

She jolted into a sitting position as she realized the sky she saw was purple! That wasn't right, sky should be blue. So why was it purple? A rather lovely shade of purple, but purple?

"Where am I?" She muttered.

"The Underworld," a young man's voice answered her from her right. Her head swivelled around to see a blonde teen picking himself up off the floor, a chair he had most likely been occupying fallen to one side. His charcoal grey suit set off the natural tan of his skin and the brightness of his hair nicely, while the white shirt he wore was pressed tightly against a rather impressively toned torso. The woman found herself licking dry lips as she made eye contact with silver-flecked blue.

 _Those are not the eyes of a mortal man._

"I'm sorry, it seems my manners are lacking again. I am Naruto Asmodai, head of the Asmodai family." The young man introduced himself as he picked up the chair.

Her eyes widened in shock, "Asmodai? As in the ancient devil of the Key of Solomon?"

Naruto's eyes scrunched up with amusement, and he sat back down in the chair facing her, arms crossed. "The very same. Not that devil himself, but his clan at least."

"Devils have families?"

"Probably not where you come from, but here? Yes."

"What do you mean?" She demanded.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You know, while I don't mind answering, I believe that I have introduced myself. Has Japanese etiquette dropped so badly that you will not name yourself?"

The woman grimaced. "I do not wish to give a devil my name, but you are correct. I am Taki of the Fu-Ma."

"If it makes you feel better, Taki-san, the very fact we are having this conversation is proof that I am not a demon." Naruto said reassuringly.

"How so?" Taki responded warily.

"I did a little research on your world. Your demons are, for the most part, either corrupted humans or mindless beasts. Neither of which are very loquacious."

 _Well, he's right about that much._ She admitted silently.

"As to your other question, it is really very simple: you are no longer in the universe of your birth."

"... I'm sorry, could you pass that by me once more?" Taki asked shakily.

"You no longer reside in the universe of your birth." He repeated calmly.

"I thought that's what you said," she replied softly. Then she did something she never thought she would. Taki, of the Fu-Ma clan of shinobi, destroyer of the evil weapon Soul Edge, fainted.

Naruto blinked, then chuckled as he rose to reset the sheets to cover her unconscious form. From what he had been able to discover about this woman in the past week since he reincarnated her with two Pawn Pieces this was not something he had expected. He had expected more along the lines of her reaching for her weapons and demanding to be released, not a dead faint.

Oh boy, did this ever break the curve of his Pieces to date.

While the fainting spell was unexpected, Naruto didn't really mind. It gave him more of a chance to admire her, something he had done a fair bit of over the past week. He was right, she was beautiful once all the blood was cleaned off and the wounds closed. Her body type was definitely that of a kunoichi, and her chosen weapons spoke volumes about her as well. Well-maintained dual kodachi, each with its own spiritual affinity, though one seemed to be weakening.

 _We'll have to see what can be done about that,_ Naruto thought with a frown directed at the two blades sitting on the bedside table near him. _Can't very well have my new member weakening because of her tools, now can we? But why is one sealed into its sheath? Unless..._

He picked up the second kodachi and examined it a bit more closely. He hadn't really had much time over the week to take a look. First he had been engaged in healing Taki's injuries so they didn't scar, then he had to recharge himself, and finally he had to assist in setting up the refugees by approving the budgets. It was just today that he had managed to get his schedule cleared enough to sit by her bed, and her sudden awakening had surprised him enough to topple him over backward.

"Hm... there is a strange energy to this blade..." He mused quietly to himself. "Though the power is weak, I can tell it used to be much stronger. It's almost as if it is fading without its original source. Interesting..."

He carefully placed the weapon back down. This was something to bring up with the sleeping woman. Whenever she woke up again, that is.

With that in mind, Naruto settled himself once again in a comfortable position. He might as well, it could be a while. As such, he pulled a large tome up from where it had fallen on the floor earlier, and opened it to a marker about mid-way in. If he was going to have to wait for her to awaken again, he figured he'd opt to read one of Gressen's earlier journals.

He didn't get very far as Taki began to rouse again a few minutes later. Her eye blinked open as he softly closed the book and set it aside.

Her gaze panned over to him. "So... not just not my world, but not my universe, huh?"

"Yep."

"... What now? I assume you didn't just save me out of the kindness of your heart." She paused a moment, "assuming a devil has a heart, that is."

Naruto grinned, "Oh, we have them. You have to dig pretty far with most of us, though. My house, however, is known to be somewhat more... affectionate, I suppose. As to why I saved you..." He shrugged, "well, you aren't wrong, but not quite right either. I'm gathering people to help me, walk with me, fight with me, _live_ with me. In short, I'm kinda creating my own set of companions."

"Why me? What can I add to this group of yours? What made you choose me?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I do not know," he admitted, catching her off-guard. "I sent out what are known as Evil Pieces into the metaphorical ether, and set those pieces the task of locating people that not only deserve a second chance at life-you really _were_ dying by the way-but those that were intelligent, strong of mind and body, and could mesh well with my personality. There were a few other optional settings, but in general those were what I was after. Two of my Pawns-the Pieces are designed after those of chess, you see-found you, and thus I came around to recruit you... only to find that you were a little farther along in your death scene than I usually deal with."

Taki frowned as a thought struck her, "I remember hearing a voice, yours. You said something about explaining something?"

Naruto shrugged again, "that's kinda what I'm doing now."

"So I wasn't just hearing things," she muttered. A shift of wind breezed in and ruffled the sheets covering her, which brought to mind a certain point. "Naruto-san, why am I naked?"

"Part of the process I used to heal you requires as much skin contact as possible," he explained with a sigh. He was really getting tired of having to tell people this.

"So you have seen my unclothed, naked body?" Taki asked with a neutral expression.

"Ye~s," Naruto drew out the word warily. "Is that a problem?" He was honestly gambling every time they woke up like this, hoping that they wouldn't try to kill him for being a 'pervert'.

"In a certain regard, it certainly helps me make the choice to join your group," she said quietly.

"And what regard would that be?" He wasn't sure he liked where this was going.

"My clan has many different practices, some reaching back into antiquity so ancient we aren't sure where they originate." She replied, her voice never rising in volume, which honestly worried him. "One of those is the traditional practice that a woman's naked body should not be viewed by any man other than her husband. Children are discounted for obvious reasons."(1)

Naruto winced, then vented another sigh. "Let me guess, to set things right with that tradition, you must now become my woman? My bride?"

"Yes." The word was said through grit teeth. She apparently liked the idea about as much as he did.

"Okay, I will admit my research on your world was hasty at best, as I did not know your clan held to that tradition. Otherwise I would have taken a different route in your healing, probably by letting Tier-chan practice on you." He said sourly. "Unfortunately, I already have three women who share my bed and heart, and another I have little doubt is attempting to do so. So you see, I am not looking to make it five."

"My honour as a Fu-Ma kunoichi demands no less of me," Taki said firmly, her gaze turning to meet his. "The only other option is to kill you."

"Yeah, that would not go over well," he said dryly.

"So then, Husband," she said, "Taki of the Fu-Ma will join your group, and your harem. Please be kind to me."

Naruto sighed heavily and slumped. _Daikoku, I really hate you right now._

 **XxXxXxXx- Omake – the other side of things.**

Lily looked over the fallen man in silver armour in thought. "Well, this is certainly following the curve. Another knight-type, my King?"

"Actually, Lily," Naruto said as he moved past the unconscious man, "he's not the target. This woman is."

Rias blinked alongside Lily. "But... she's not conscious..."

"I noticed," Naruto replied dryly, though he was frowning as he knelt down beside the dying woman. She could have been beautiful, but she was covered in blood and wounds that marred her countenance. Well, if nothing else, those should at least fix themselves if he extends his own energy to heal her.

He held out his hand and two small red statues of dragons appeared, quickly sinking into the paling body before him. "I normally don't do this," he muttered, "but I normally also have the time to explain things. For what it's worth, I promise to explain when you regain consciousness."

"I wonder, my king, whether she will be one to find her way into your bed," Lily noted idly with a slight bit of jealousy in her voice. She was used to seeing bloody bodies on the battlefield and was easily able to see the woman's beauty beneath the bloody visage. Not to mention that the bodysuit left nothing to the imagination, leaving Lily to stew and wish she had this woman's curvature.

Naruto shrugged, "I do not know. Tier and Pyrrha would be the better ones to ask about that. As it was their idea, I left it up to them to allow or disallow my possible partners."

"What about Akitsu, then?" Rias asked impishly.

"As I said before, it's a peculiarity of her species."

"You're going to stick to that story, aren't you?"

"Like white on rice."

 **XxXxXxXx- Ending Notes**

1- This tradition is really freaking old, and so is her clan apparently. To assist with the merging of such a strong character I have decided to use this old tradition.

Current Peerage (Familiar):

 **Queen:** Tier Harribel (Undine)

 **Bishop:** Rias Gremory (Devil Bat/Magic Bat), Akitsu

 **Knight:** Aayla Secura (Gryphon), Saber Lily

 **Rook:** Titania (Celestial Charger)

 **Pawn:** Pyrrha Nikos (Magic Wolf), Taki

 **And Naruto's Sacred Gear strikes again! Daikoku's Blessing, I'd bet that a few of you even forgot he had it. But it just complicated his life with his latest gamble on his Pieces, so much fun ^_^. And the fact that it's Taki of Soul Calibur! A hotter kunoichi I dare you to find! On second thought, if you can honestly think of a kunoichi out there who is hotter than her... keep it to yourself. I love Taki, and she was honestly one of my first picks for the peerage.**

 **Now, to keep things in perspective: With the addition of Taki, Naruto has _5_ Evil Pieces left to him; 3 normal Pawns, 1 Mutated Pawn worth 2 points, and one normal Rook.**

~Dreaming of the Phoenix


	15. Chapter 15

**AN:** I seem to have lost my betas, one to not answering me, and the other to not feeling up to it. So let's see how well I do on my own... of course, if you wish to volunteer, feel free to pm me.

 **Disclaimer:** see chapter 01.

 **Chapter 15: Adjustments Pt9, A Duel, And a.. What? Pawn, we're going with Pawn.**

The twenty-nine year old, recently reincarnated, Fu-Ma kunoichi was putting her new body through its paces in a private training facility a week after waking up to discover her new situation. Well, Taki called it private, but it was owned by her new 'husband', who was also her new master.

She growled at the thought of being owned, like a dog, and put a bit more force into her movements in an effort to vent her frustration. The poor dummy she was venting on never stood a chance as it was systematically demolished. Wood was a tough material, but it was no match for an irate woman who now had physical strength that easily surpassed most of humanity. One last crash from having its head caught between her ankles and twisted into the ground finished the dummy off in a rather spectacular display of acrobatic movement.

"Well, I can safely say that I'm glad that wasn't me," a voice sad from behind her, causing Taki to whirl around aggressively. She stopped herself from attacking, though, when she realized there wasn't any actual threat.

Standing there was a teen girl on the very cusp of true womanhood, with long hair so red it resembled fresh-spilled blood, wearing an outfit that put Taki in mind of her old friend Sophitia. It just had that ancient Greek feel to it. Though the kunoichi remembered being introduced to this girl during her convalescence over the past week, she hadn't really made any attempt to get to know her new "comrades."

"...Pyrrha, right?" Taki asked.

"That's me," Pyrrha replied cheerfully.

Taki started a few cool down exercises, she'd put a little too much effort into that last one. "Tell me something, Pyrrha-san..."

The redhead looked over to the raven-haired kunoichi curiously, "Yes?"

"How did Naruto manage to convince you to join his group?"

"Do you mean the peerage, or his harem?"

"Both."

"Well, the harem was Tier's idea actually," Pyrrha admitted with a shrug. "I was just the first person she approached with it. I was already falling hard for him, so I didn't mind too much..."

She paused for a moment, then frowned. "Okay, that's a blatant lie, I minded a great deal. I just couldn't refute Tier's arguments and wound up agreeing to the idea, under the consideration that I could take my time in choosing whether or not I ever actually had sex with him."

"...And have you had sex with him?" Taki asked the younger woman.

"Nope," Pyrrha replied cheerfully. "I share a bed with him, and a number of kisses and hugs, but the most intimate I've been with him is being naked with him in the bath."

Taki wasn't really sure how to respond to that. Her clan had very firm views about a man and a woman seeing each other naked, before or after marriage. The idea of being so blatantly casual was... awkward. Obviously she would have to readjust her thinking now that she herself was a devil, but she had to wonder just how much of her traditions she'd have to let go of.

"What about joining his 'peerage'?" If she didn't know how to respond, she'd just skip it.

"Well, I was kinda dead at the time," Pyrrha started only for Taki to interrupt.

"You were dead?! At least I was dying! Does he have no respect for the boundaries of life and death?"

Pyrrha frowned heavily. "I said 'kinda', I wasn't quite dead yet. My soul was floating in an 'in-between' space, neither alive nor dead. Naruto came to me there, and talked with me, explaining everything he knew, and it was there that I felt the first stirrings of my feelings for him."

Taki filed away the kind and happy smile the girl had when she said that for a later time. "An in-between space?"

"Apparently it is a place where souls go when my realm's death god wasn't sure what to do with the recently deceased. Mostly if you died before your 'destined time'." Pyrrha said with air quotes.

Taki blinked. "...I don't know what to say to that," she admitted.

Pyrrha laughed, "yeah, I didn't either, but I'm glad I ended up there."

"Why? Why would you be glad to end up in place like that?" Taki demanded incredulously.

"Because I met Naruto," Pyrrha replied simply. Seeing an expression of disbelief settle on the other woman's features, she explained with a gentle smile, "Taki, I know it sounds weird, but I wouldn't give this all up even if I could. I'm seeing so much more than I would have if I'd stayed in my world. So many wonders, just look at my armour for an example; orichalcum and wyvern hide? Both the metal and the creature are nothing but myth to my home world, yet here I am wearing those very things. And the knowledge! The sciences that they've managed, especially those combined with their magics, are nothing short of remarkable."

Pyrrha paused for a moment, and stole a look out the doors, her smile changing from gentle to one Taki had last seen on her friend Sophitia. It was the look of a woman in love, and content with her lot in life. Sophitia had worn it when she tried to explain to her just how she felt about being both a wife and a mother.

"And there's a man I know I can trust with my very soul, Taki," Pyrrha continued a moment later, making eye contact once more. "Not just my body, which he has not taken unwanted advances on; not just my heart, which he has without question; not even just my mind, which lies in awe of him and his dedication to his friends and his word. My very soul cries out for him, as one piece of a puzzle to another. His simple presence fills me with confidence, and his praise means more to me than all of the accolades I ever achieved in my human life."

"I'm not trying to convince you to give up your animosity," Pyrrha said as she saw Taki expression shift again, this time to a wary acceptance. "I don't have that right. While our situations were relatively similar, our cultures and beliefs are obviously different. I have come to love him, I have come to understand that his heart is too great in size for just one woman to hold all of it, and I am happy to have provided a piece to completing his shattered soul."

"Shattered soul?" Taki asked in disbelief, "He's a devil!"

Pyrrha's stare turned dangerous and pinned the woman on the spot. "Yes, he is a devil, but before that he was a man. That man had his home, the buildings and people of it, destroyed by a madman. He returned to an empty crater where his village and loved ones had been. The only survivor was Yugao, who now carries the last of his human blood in the form of the children growing in her womb. Make no mistake, the destruction of his home shattered him. He is just that good of an actor that you do not see it."

She stopped for a moment, her eyes narrowing then widening in realization. "No, it's not that you don't see it, you don't want to. You're afraid that if you were to try and see past his facade, you would sympathize with him. You're afraid to look too deep, just in case you were to find out that your perceptions are wrong."

"I'm not afraid!" Taki snapped.

Pyrrha gave her an understanding look, "I get it, I do. You were human, you were dying, and you had made peace with that. Then you awoke here, and were told that you had a new chance at living. It must have felt incredibly insulting to you, having accepted that death would possibly be your only reward for your completed task, only to have even that ripped away at the last moment seemingly at the whim of an arrogant young man."

"What right did he have?" Taki demanded hotly. "I would have been content to die for my goals, and he rips that determination away from me because he wanted to? And now, because he's seen my naked body my own clan's traditions are being used against me."

Pyrrha waited patiently, then asked, "Do you know what he's doing right now?"

Taki snorted, "probably getting the bed ready for me to join his harem."

Pyrrha shook her head, "For such a smart woman, you are being so purposely dense it's amazing. He's not in the bedroom, he's in the library." She gave the surprised woman a hard stare, "Looking for a way to help you out of your tradition's demand."

Taki looked thunderstruck. "Why would he do that?" She asked weakly.

"Because he does not wish to trample upon the free will of others," Pyrrha replied softly, "not even those who are labelled as his servants."

Taki shook her head in wonder, and a bit of denial. "I don't understand him, am I not pleasing to the eye?"

Pyrrha looked at her as though she'd lost her marbles. "I'm going to say this once, Taki, and considering that this is coming from a straight female you might not want to doubt me, but you are incredibly beautiful, and could possibly make a dead man cum."

Taki blinked at the blunt statement, thought it over, then asked, "Then why is he looking for a way out?"

"He is doing it for you," Pyrrha replied easily, shifting her position to begin her own series of practice routines. "He sees how uncomfortable you are with the situation and is trying to help you."

"But why?" Taki sounded honestly confused, and Pyrrha gave her a sympathetic look.

"Because that's part of the man he is."

Taki backed off a ways as Pyrrha started her routine. The kunoichi's mind was running in circles as she finally allowed herself to stop reacting to fact that she was surrounded by devils, and looked objectively at her interactions with Naruto over the past few days. She winced slightly at some of the biting comments she had made, and realized that every time they had spoken he was being sincere in his efforts to reach out to her. He was trying, for her sake, but she wasn't even remotely doing the same. It brought her shame to realize her actions were more than uncalled for.

 _He saved my life,_ Taki thought to herself as her resentment began to fade. _He didn't have to. He could have left me there to die in the mud and rain, but he saved me. And even now, when I've been such a horrible person to him he is still trying to save me. This time from myself and my clan's traditions, but he can't. Not this time. I told him already the only method my clan allowed to get out of it was for me to kill him..._

"Pyrrha," Taki began, stopping the redhead in her movements. "The harem of women, was it really not his idea?"

The teen looked at her and nodded. "It was Tier's idea, and I was the first she approached with it. Together we decided that only the women involved with Naruto already could allow any more, and we put strict regulations on our criteria."

"What of that ice-wielder, Akitsu?"

"Her species actually requires love and affection for them to grow and function."

Taki blinked again, "seriously?"

Pyrrha nodded and eased out of her stance. Holding that pose was difficult at the best of times, trying to hold it and keep up a conversation as well was not something she wanted to bother trying. "Surprised the rest of us, too. But I've looked back on her world through a special mirror, and I've seen the truth with my own eyes. It's really rather remarkable, and very sad as well."

Taki nodded, she didn't doubt the girl's words. "And what of that girl in white? The blonde one with the Holy Sword?"

That particular woman had been as cordial to Taki over the past week as Taki had been to Naruto. In short, polite just a few degrees off from frost forming. It was clear to Taki that the white-themed knight held Naruto in some kind of greater esteem, and was possibly infatuated with him. Given that it made sense why the knight would be so cold to her, but was she a part of that harem?

"You mean Lily?" Receiving a nod, Pyrrha said, "She's not part of the harem, but with what I've seen that's only going to be a matter of time. When she tries for a position the rest of us will get together and see if we are in agreement on letting her join."

"What about me? The tradition of my clan precludes your agreement."

Pyrrha just gave Taki a hard stare for a moment. "If you weren't opposed to being his woman, his wife for all intents and purposes, then your tradition would not be much of an issue."

"I see," the kunoichi said quietly as Pyrrha returned to her routine from the beginning. Taki's mind was a whirlwind of information, and a strange sense of anticipation.

Taki straightened her back and left the room quietly. She had an idea on how to make things right with the person who saved her life and gave her a new one. He was willing to give her a shot, the least she could do was return the favour.

Besides, there was _one_ other way to deal with her clan tradition. She just hadn't remembered it earlier in her indignation.

 _Oopsies._

 **XxXxXxXx**

"The Asmodai family possesses a unique ability," Naruto said to his two new siblings deep within a hidden space beneath the manor. "It is commonly referred to as The Power of Domination."

Temari gave a short laugh, "sounds like it'll make me a dominatrix."

Gaara stayed silent, but Naruto could easily see the redhead's agreement. "Yes, well, it takes a different shape in each wielder. I have the Domination of Time, just as one example."

Temari's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "TIME?!"

Naruto shrugged, a small smile of satisfaction playing on his lips. "Yeah, still learning to control it, but the base factor is finding out what you need. I needed enough time to learn everything I possibly could, so my power awakened under that premise. What yours will be is... well, it's up to your personal needs."

"That seems remarkably convenient," Gaara stated quietly.

"It is a bit," Naruto agreed.

"So?" Temari demanded impatiently, "how do we go about this?"

"It's really quite simple," Naruto explained. "Much like first accessing your chakra, meditate and reach deep within you for a power you don't recognize, and guide it to the surface. I highly recommend not forcing it."

"Why?"

"Well, speaking from experience, the power is much like a child that just wants to play. Whether that was just mine or not, I have no idea, but letting it flow has worked for both myself and Rias, so I would assume it will for you as well."

"Rias?"

"The youngest redhead in my peerage," Naruto said helpfully.

"I know who she is, Naruto," Temari replied in exasperation. "I wanted to know what she has to do with this."

"Ah," he replied. "Rias' mother is from the Bael family. They possess an ability called the Power of Destruction, which Rias inherited. I've had a few training sessions with her and found that our Powers reacted similar."

"I see," Temari muttered as she sat down beside Gaara who looked to already be in deep meditation. "Jerk, how dare he get ahead of me?"

Naruto just smirked and left the room. He'd given them the only advise he could, now it was up to them. And though he was curious as to who would awaken their power first, and just what it would be, it was something he felt would be deeply personal. It was how he'd felt about his own, and he wouldn't take that away from them.

He was making his way through the main foyer when he came across Taki, who was leaning against a wall. He noticed her head was down, her face hidden by her hair. It was quite the nice profile image, but he had no wish to linger where he wasn't welcome. Yet as he went to pass her, she put a hand on his shoulder.

Naruto stopped. It wasn't a strong grip or anything like that, more tentative, as if she was uncertain how he would respond. He looked at her and saw a troubled expression.

"I know you've been avoiding me," Taki said softly. "And according to Pyrrha it's been for my benefit. I... I don't really know what to think right now, but the fact remains you saved my life back then." He watched as she licked nervously at her lips, but he stayed quiet, no doubt she had more to say. "I- I know I behaved badly this past week, so... as an olive branch, I'll tell you the only other way out of my clan's tradition."

Naruto couldn't have been more shocked if she'd said that ramen was just soup with noodles. He blinked rapidly and shook his head to clear his surprise. He gave the woman a deadpan look and said, "well, now that you just gave me the closest thing I've had to heart attack, what might this option be?"

Taki giggled a little uncomfortably, "It's like this..."

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto stood across a large circle from Taki an hour later. "Is this really the only other way?"

Taki nodded, "yes. A simple, non-lethal duel. I win, and the tradition can be overturned. But you cannot _let_ me win."

"And if I win?" He asked, giving his double-bladed sword a couple of test wings.

Taki shrugged, "then I submit and we go from there."

On the sidelines several people watched with amusement. Shizuka, formerly of Nadeshiko Village, more so than others. This was very similar to her old village's laws on marriage. Only in those cases no matter what happened the man was screwed; either figuratively or literally. She did find it odd, though, that Naruto would willingly allow this woman's traditions but not her own... maybe it was due to the fact that Taki's laws were flexible, whereas Shizuka's weren't?

 _Yeah, that's probably got a lot to do with it._ The Nadeshiko girl thought to herself as she stood alongside Terumi Mei and former Shogun Mifune.

Aside from her and a number of other refugees were the Gremory family, Zeoticus and Venelana standing on either side of their daughter during their first visit. Rias had been staying in contact with her parents and elder brother through letters and other methods, but she would readily admit that she had missed the closeness of her family... though she could do without her brother's over exuberant replies. Thank all the gods for Grayfia to keep the man in line!

To top it off there were multiple members from both Gressen's peerage and Naruto's own. Gressen's group were to be evaluators, while Naruto's were there just to see their master in combat that wasn't training.

Naruto frowned, "when you say 'submit', do you mean...?"

"I quit trying to get away from you, and instead we focus on making things work." Taki said firmly. "I am no man's slave. Whether you are my Husband, my Master, or whatever."

Naruto chuckled and settled himself into his opening stance, "well, as a husband I wouldn't want you to be submissive, but as your King I will expect a certain amount of diffidence. I can't exactly allow my servants to run roughshod over me."

Taki nodded as she entered her own stance, one blade drawn. "That would be acceptable."

Naruto grinned in a rather predatory fashion, "well then, shall we begin?"

Albedo stood to one side, hand raised. "I am Albedo, and I will be the judge of this duel! This is a non-lethal, one-on-one match between Naruto Asmodai and Taki of the Fu-Ma. The rules are simple, no killing blows, otherwise all skills are welcome. The duel will end when one of the contestants is unable to continue. Should I say the match is finished, it is finished. Are these rules clear?"

"Clear," Naruto said.

"Clear," Taki replied.

Albedo's hand chopped down, "Begin!"

The two combatants met in the centre of the circle, weapons locked momentarily. Taki was testing Naruto's physical strength, and Naruto was fully willing to play her game. This duel was the most interesting thing to happen in the past week.

Yes, he was _that_ bored.

With a hard shove, Naruto disengaged the locked weapons, proving himself the physical superior in strength. This wasn't outside of Taki expectations, as she knew she was hardly designed for overpowering her opponents through brute force. It was well within her calculations for him to best her in that regard. So she switched gears to her preference: acrobatics. Taki knew her strength relied greatly on her flexibility and dexterity.

However, she found that he was keeping up with her. She jumped, dodged, twisted, and pulled movements that would make most contortionists green with envy, but he kept right in rhythm with her. Some of his movements seemed a little strained, but over all there wasn't nearly as large a gap as she might have hoped for.

They broke apart to opposite sides and collected their breaths for the next round.

Naruto's grin hadn't faltered, "surprised, Taki? Remember that I wasn't always a pencil-pushing noble."

"Then what were you?" She asked, intrigued despite herself.

"The same as you, a shinobi."

Her eyes widened in shock, and she barely managed to get her guard up in time to block his next set of attacks. His swings were wide as such a long weapon necessitated, but they were swift and flowed together smoothly. Taki found herself likening his sword style to that of a staff, the footwork he used only emphasizing that impression. She had faced many who used pole weapons such as the spear, glaive, and even the staff itself, but few flowed like this young man.

Taki winced as she dodged yet another strike, but this time it connected in a glancing blow. Without looking down she assessed the damage. A minor cut along her upper left arm, shallow, wouldn't necessarily hinder her immediately, but it would limit her range of movement with that arm.

"Go ahead and bind that injury, Taki." Naruto said, surprising her yet again. "I'll wait."

Taki cautiously tore a small strip from the forearm covering of her bodysuit, "That's not very shinobi-like, giving your opponent a chance to help themselves."

He shrugged minimally, never losing his own guard. "I've been told something similar often enough, but this isn't to the death. If it were, you're right, I wouldn't have given you the option. I'd have forced my advantage and taken you down."

Taki tied off the ends of her bandage, and slowly drew her second kodachi. She didn't like using Mekki-Maru too much, even if Soul Edge has been destroyed she was leery of the weapon. Her favourite ninjato, Rekki-Maru,(1) wasn't weak by any means, not anymore at least, but it was obvious to her that she wouldn't win this without using both her swords.

 _...Though I may need to reforge Rekki-Maru after this._ She admitted silently as she saw several large nicks in her blade. _What the hell is that sword of his made of?_

"Blued steel," his voice interrupted her thoughts.

"What?"

"My sword, it's simple blued steel. Harder and will keep an edge better than ordinary steel, but still steel." Naruto shrugged, "it's a common question, and I've gotten used to answering it."

Taki eyed his sword dubiously, "I think there may be more to it than that."

"Probably," he laughed. "I'll be the first to admit that I know jack about identifying metals, but the smiths I've brought it to have all said the same thing: 'maybe something special, maybe not. Good luck figuring it out, boy.'"

Taki snorted. Typical blacksmiths. If they don't make it, they don't brag about it. Even then, any craftsman is never truly satisfied with their work, always finding flaws that no one else would bother noting.

"Well, shall we get back to it?" Naruto suggested, his knees flexing.

"Let's." Taki burst forward, and once more the sound of steel on steel rang. The onlookers watched a dance of steel and blood, where the slightest incorrect move would likely have dire consequences.

Cocytus, as the nominal judge of martial weaponry and bladework, studied the effects of the bout. Without a doubt, Naruto was holding his own well. That spoke volumes about how much experience he had packed into his short training trip with his former teacher. To match a seasoned kunoichi like Taki in pure weapons work was no small feat. Especially when the double-blade put Naruto at a slight disadvantage against the two-sword style Taki used.(2) Unless something was done soon to tip the balances, Cocytus saw the match ending one of two ways: either Naruto would outlast Taki, or Taki would land an unintentionally lethal blow.

Naruto saw this, too, and recalled that all skills were allowed. As a shinobi he would take his skills to task, and give his opponent his all. He'd allowed her to bandage her arm earlier simply because he felt like it, now all bets were off as he began to stream his wind-natured energy into his sword. The effects were immediate in the fact that he nearly sheared through Rekki-Maru.

As they separated once more, both using the opportunity to regain their breath, Taki studied the new damage to her weapon and frowned heavily. That was not something she had expected. Rekki-Maru was weakened, yes, but it shouldn't be that bad off.

She looked up at him and asked, "What was that?"

Naruto grinned, "Where I come from shinobi each have a natural elemental affinity. Mine just so happens to be Wind, which is able to add to my weapon's cutting power." He frowned, "well, I have a minor affinity for Yin, but I haven't really delved into that."

"Why not?" A shinobi should be ready to use every weapon at their disposal. Having an affinity and not using it seemed like such a waste.

"Yin's primarily used for illusions, and I suck at those." He said evenly. "The best I've got there is the _Henge no Jutsu_. Which, while awesome, has limited uses."

"I see," Taki mused. And indeed she did. Limited use made for something that was reliable in only certain situations or under incredibly specific circumstances.

"I have some other ideas, but honestly those are projects for another date."

Taki's expression went from curious to serious. "I think it's time we end this."

"I suppose we must," Naruto agreed.

In a flash of golden light Taki found herself bound with metal wire, on her back on the ground, and the tip of Naruto's sword at her throat. Naruto looked down at her with a pained grin.

"Okay, note to self: excessive movement while holding Time hurts." Naruto grunted.

Taki's eyes widened in realization. "You stopped Time to bind me."

"Any and all skills that are non-lethal," Naruto reminded her. "It would be insulting to you and your skills if I were to hold back, especially at the end."

"When did you realize it?"

"Realize what?"

"That this duel was a test," she said calmly. "A test of your worth to be not just my husband, but my lord."

"Oh, that," Naruto grinned, "Around the point where your weapon was badly damaged but you wouldn't quit. It had to be more than just stubborn pride or a sticking to clan tradition."

Taki rested her head against the ground, closing her eyes with a sigh of surprising contentment. "I give up, Naruto-kun. You win. Now, would you mind untying me?"

Albedo threw up her arm, "Winner! Naruto Asmodai!"

He grinned down at the trapped kunoichi, "I dunno, Taki-chan, I kinda like this look for you."

Taki felt a heavy blush settle on her cheeks and was glad for her face guard... _Wait, I wasn't wearing it..._

Naruto's devilish grin didn't help her rising redness.

Though he did unbind her after a moment longer. He would swear up and down that he wasn't trying to memorize the sight...

 **XxXxXxXx**

A few weeks after the duel, Naruto was taking a rare moment to relax in the Mirror room with Kurama. Idly running a hand through the fox's luscious fur and earning content sounds from the lightly dozing vulpine, Naruto let his mind wander over the improvements of the past week.

True to her word, Taki had ceased all forms of antagonism and was actively helping him make not only their situation work, but also had seemingly taken to her new "duties" of helping humans who summoned her quite well. She even willingly joined him and her new "harem sisters" in bed at night, and much like Pyrrha it seemed that Taki enjoyed wearing sheer nightgowns to tease him. As if her usual battle outfit of that skin-tight and form-fitting red bodysuit wasn't bad enough!

 _Oh, who am I kidding? Both the bodysuit and the nightgowns look real good on her, and I'll admit that I like seeing her in them. At least her casual style is blouse and jeans, while they show off her figure well... okay, walking wet dream, but at least it's conservative enough that I don't have to bang Tier and Akitsu every few minutes!_

 _... Seriously, when will these damned hormones level out?!_

A few more weeks and he'd be taking Taki, Akitsu, and Lily to get their first Familiars. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious at just what those three would come back with. It was slightly irritating that he couldn't just go into the Familiar Forest, but it was considered sacrosanct by devil-kind so he'd just have to put up with making appointments with that stupid Familiar Master. Seriously, did that guy just not bother to grow up?

 _Probably not_ , Naruto thought sourly.

Mifune and his remaining samurai had taken to guarding the mansion or joining the local police forces. There weren't very many of them, only a few dozen or so, but they said it felt more familiar to them. Thus the samurai swore oaths of service and got to work. And _damn_ did they do good work, Captain Kirahe was overjoyed with the new members and their skill sets. As both the Guard and the police ultimately answered to the Asmodai family in this area, it posed no issues which force the samurai joined up with.

The civilians of the refugees were slowly either joining the maids and other servants or filtering into local towns to begin new lives. The ones who joined the servants felt it was the easiest way to repay the man who had saved them from what they viewed as inevitable destruction. Whereas the ones going into the towns wanted something a bit more normal to them, and felt that since they would likely be paying taxes, that that would do well enough to repay their debt.

Though... when he decided to set up the possibility of branching into movie development, and to promote Koyuki as his main actress, he hadn't quite expected it to rocket off like it had. A few members of the samurai that were originally from Haru no Kuni had taken up the job of being her personal guards, and they were more than adequate to the task in a world where chakra enhancement techniques were a fair bit overpowered.

Shizuka, Mei, and the rest of the shinobi, however... they didn't really want to give up their way of life, and assembled a conference with Yugao and Konan. This conference did just as Naruto had feared and birthed a new Hidden Village. So to speak. They just called themselves Yosokage(3) Clan and swore to defend Naruto and his progeny. Though each member had kept their individual family name, but counted themselves as part of the over-arching title of Yosokage Clan member, which is what allowed him to liken it to a village. Right now they were practically locked in his library learning about the traditions of devils and the nearby human realm.

A heavy sigh escaped Naruto, his hand pausing on top of Kurama's back as yet another thought popped up. "You know, Kurama, I have to wonder why it is that none of my peerage so far is male."

Kurama snorted, and opened one red eye to stare up at his partner. "Because you went looking for intelligence, loyalty, and fully capable of defending themselves and/or others. Most males will have two of those at most, and you know it. Not to mention that a certain level of despair was encoded into the selection process, and dying women tend to have more of that than dying men."

Naruto's eye began to twitch, "That can't be all there is to it, though. Right?"

Kurama barked a laugh, "Of course not, but Hell if I know what's going on."

"Not helpful, fox," Naruto deadpanned.

"Not trying to be, Brat," Kurama chortled. That was a distinctly strange sound to hear from a creature that looked much like a pony-sized kitsune. Talking was fine, Naruto was used to that. Laughter? Easy enough. Sarcasm, a given! But a legitimate chortle?

"Sure, laugh it up, Kurama." Naruto sighed, " _you_ don't have four of them sharing your bed every night."

"You could have eight if you really wanted them," the fox pointed out. Obviously he was referencing Albedo, Yugao, Konan, and Lily if he was jumping the number that high.

Naruto's hand started scratching along the fox's spine lightly. "Part of my problem, though, is that I rarely ever managed to dream of just _one_ woman to share my life with, Kurama."

"You're still thinking in Elemental terms, Naruto." Kurama said with an approving growl, his back shifting to allow the blonde to scratch at a particularly good spot. "You aren't a pariah here, and these women have no basis by which to hate you for something out of your control."

"I know that in my head, Aibou(4), but that doesn't make it any easier to over turn a decade and half of thinking." Naruto said calmly.

"True enough," the fox allowed, then he glanced over at the mirror floating off in the centre of the room. "Hey, Brat... that thing's acting up again."

Naruto looked up, into the mirror, and felt a hearty need to curse. So he did. Loudly, fluidly, and with a few terms the ancient fox wasn't certain as to the meaning of. Kurama was both inspired and impressed with a feeling of pride mixed in, he didn't really know why though.

When the blonde finished his tirade, Kurama said calmly, "very nice, but how do you intend to go about this one?"

Naruto brushed a hand through his hair and let out an explosive breath. "Rias would kill me if I didn't bring her on this one, it's the world of one of her favourite shows... and I can't believe I actually said that. Who would have thought that stupid show actually existed somewhere in the multiverse?"

Kurama snorted, "this coming from an overpowered ninja turned into a devil and now collecting members for a group from different worlds all over the place."

"Touché." Naruto sniffed, then sent out a mental call for Rias. Then, on a second thought, he also called for Tier and Lily. If he was gonna do this, he was gonna have some extra hands on deck!

Then a thought struck him, and he grinned, "Hey, Kurama, wanna stretch the legs a bit?"

 **XxXxXxXx- Unknown POV**

 _Why are these humans doing this? There is no purpose, the pups are too young to be partnered. They do not yet have the skills needed to fight beside others, to protect a partner. So why...?_

These thoughts swirled incessantly through Her mind as she stood protectively between the youngest of her brood and four humans in black clothes. She growled a low warning as the humans moved closer, strange net-throwing contraptions at the ready. She knew that she and the pups were just barely outside the range of those nets, having seen them used on her mate not too long ago.

A human on the right took a step closer, and she blasted a stream of fire at them. This was just enough of a distraction for another human to swoop in closer and launch a net at her, catching her in its folds. She struggled mightily, biting at the cords that proved to resist both her teeth and her flames. Her efforts redoubling as she heard the whimpers of her pups as the humans closed in on them. Maybe this little cul-de-sac at the base of a cliff wasn't such a good idea after all...

Then a new scent hit her nose. It smelled similar to the humans, but there were many differences, too. The new scent wasn't alone either, with it were four others, three of which carried the same not-human smell as the first. The last, though... the last one smelled like a fox...

"You know, I've never been particularly fond of poachers."

The humans spun around at the sound of a young man's voice, and she managed to turn her head just enough to see the newcomer. Spiky blonde hair, deep blue eyes flecked with silver, dressed in a strange striped outfit of some kind -she never did know why these humans felt the need to cover themselves- the young man held a posture that she was intimately familiar with. He stood in a stance of easily recognizable anger, the posture of an alpha whose pack was in danger.

She didn't understand, why would he believe she was his pack? She had never laid eyes on this person before, and that scent was strange enough that she knew she would have readily recognized it if she'd sniffed it before now. So, why...?

 _So many of these "why's" today..._

"Beat it, kid," one of the humans in black said with a sneer. "You don't have any business here. Hell, you don't even have any-"

"Pokémon?" The blonde finished for Sneer. "Don't really need any, I have Kurama."

Sneer laughed scornfully, "Ooo! Big, scary Kurama! Guess we'd better start running, right guys?"

While the black-clad humans laughed mockingly, the blonde stood calmly as a horse-sized nine-tailed fox came to stand at his side.

Her eyes widened. That was a giant fox... If She didn't know any better She'd almost think it was... wait, one of those other scents was suddenly much closer! Glancing around She noticed a young female not-human with red hair carefully creeping up to her side. Her eyes narrowed at the youngster, but She kept quiet, waiting to see what the child would do.

In the background She heard Sneer suddenly sound far less confident. "That has to be the _biggest_ Ninetales..."

"Nope," the blonde said cheerfully. "Kurama's not a Ninetales. He's a kitsune, a thousand-year old -or thereabouts- fox spirit. And his job is really very simple."

"And what's that, kid?"

"He's here to scare the shit out of you long enough for my friend Rias to do _her_ job."

"Oh, really?" The sneer was back in full force as Sneer felt in control of the situation again. "And what would that job be?"

"Why not take a good look behind you?"

"What...?"

While the blonde had been talking, the young redhead had managed to cut the net open and free Her. She rose to her full height once more, her black-striped orange fur raised and a menacing snarl showing off her very sharp teeth. Fire played among the fangs, casting the human's face in a burning orange glow. Her bright blue eyes were narrowed into an angry glare that sent shivers of dread down the man's spine.

"Shiiii-"

"Of course that, too, is just a distraction," the blonde purred into Sneer's ear as he pulled a knife along Sneer's throat.

"You killed him!" One of the other black-clad humans choked out.

"Of course he did," the younger redhead answered nonchalantly, her hand raised, palm out toward another of the poachers. "We're devils, and you are pissing us off."

With that proclamation a blast of black energy leaped from her outstretched hand and reduced the man she was pointing at to nothing. The final two black-clothed humans dropped their weapons and ran, only to find themselves on the wrong end of two swordswomen, and a large pack of very angry black-striped orange creatures like the one they had captured not long before. Both of the women had short blonde hair, one messy while other had a high ponytail held together with a black ribbon, and they both had green-ish eyes, and they both wore white, but that was where the similarities ended as the one with messy hair was significantly taller than the other.

"You two should be very glad that it goes against my oaths as a knight to murder any unarmed opponent," the ponytailed woman growled. "Or I would kill you both right now for what you have done to these creatures."

"Unfortunately for you," the other woman said calmly, "I have taken no such oaths." A single wide swipe of her sword relieved the last two poachers of their heads, leaving their lifeless bodies to fall to the hard earth.

 **XxXxXxXx- Neutral POV**

Naruto nodded in satisfaction, and turned back to the one he had originally come to help. If he recalled correctly from the times he watched the show with Rias -who was running around and plucking little red and white spheres off the poachers' belts- this giant dog-like creature was called an Arcanine. He already loved it for the fact of its primary colour being orange.

Though now that he had the chance, he took a better look at it. Arcanine was a quadruped, canine Pokémon with an orange pelt marked by jagged black stripes. It had diamond-shaped ears with beige insides, bright blue eyes, a round, black nose, and two pointed teeth protruding from its upper jaw. Its head, muzzle, and chest were covered in shaggy, beige fur, except for two oval sections around each eye and ear. Long tufts of fur grew behind its knees and around its ankles. Its underside was black, and it has a billowing, beige tail that is bent in the middle. Its paws each ended in a distinctive three-toed style, and he'd bet the pads on the underside were soft.

All in all, Arcanine was awesome and awe-inspiring.

He cleared his throat, "So, there's your pack, but I have to wonder if you'd be willing to hear me out on something?"

Arcanine tilted her head curiously. She was fully willing to listen to one of her saviours. The fact that he was obviously the alpha of those other two females who had saved the rest of her pack made him a little more interesting to her.

"Cool, so I'm building a group of people to help me out," he said. "To do this I sent out some strange little things to look for them while I had my attention focused elsewhere. Three of these items have zeroed in on you, so would you be willing to come with me? Your pack would be welcome to come along as well, of course. I wouldn't want to split up the family after all."

Arcanine tilted her head to the other side and closed her eyes as she thought about the offer. He wasn't human, but he and his pack had saved her and her pack. He wasn't holding one of those strange spheres, but instead three small red items. He was asking her to join him, and she could bring her pack with her. She wouldn't have to leave the pups alone, she wouldn't have to leave her mate either.

Thinking of her mate, Arcanine opened her eyes and stared across at him. He was another Arcanine and had heard everything, and was also thinking about the offer. To be honest he liked the short ponytailed female, she had a presence that told him she was kind to animals. She and the taller female had saved him and many of his pack. She didn't have to, but he could also sense that she was outraged at what had happened to them. This just made him like her more. He made eye contact with his mate, and nodded his agreement.

Arcanine looked back to Naruto and nodded once, a low chuffing noise indicating her agreement. She would join him, she would help him as he had helped her. She moved forward and sniffed the three items in his hand, inadvertently touching them in her curiosity. A moment later the three objects gave a slight gold glow and absorbed into her body without a fuss.

Naruto blinked. That was a first. No fainting, no other obvious changes, just a simple acceptance.

He shrugged internally. Oh well, it's not like he was complaining. He had a feeling that if Arcanine had fainted on him he'd have to do a lot of fast talking to her mate in order to avoid being incinerated. Plus this giant orange dog was worth _three_ of his Pawns. Her mate was probably worth about the same, which was a bit more than Pyrrha had commanded. He didn't really want to start the relationship off on a bad foot with creatures that could breathe fire as easily as he did air.

He reached out and rubbed Arcanine's forehead. She liked that. "Well, since there are two Arcanine here, I guess I should probably give you a name, eh? Hey, Rias, if you're done doing whatever it is you're doing, you mind giving me an idea as to what gender this is?"

Rias, who had been releasing the poacher's pokémon back into the wild, turned around and looked at him like he was an idiot. "That one's female, Naruto-sama. Her fur is a bit longer than a male's, and she's a bit bigger than him, too. They're rarer than males, I don't know why, but they also have a deeper orange tone to their fur."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Sorry for not knowing as much about this stuff as you do, Rias." He said sarcastically, but he was wearing an amused grin. "Now, as for a name for you, girl, let's see..."

He trailed off, but he didn't stop rubbing her head. Now that he got a good look at her, Rias was right. Arcanine's fur was a very deep orange, the black stripes a deep sable. In fact, her fur was such a deep orange that it was almost like watching the sunset. That perfect dark orange that was almost red. Combined with the rare blue eyes -even he knew that Arcanine usually had black eyes- it made for an incredibly striking image. In fact it reminded him of...

"Scarlet," he whispered.

Arcanine heard him, though, and bumped her head into his chest, then licked his face. She liked it.

Naruto laughed, "alright, Scarlet it is, then. Welcome to my peerage Scarlet. Now come on, let's get all of you home."

A few minutes later and Scarlet, the new, incredibly proud Pawn of Naruto Asmodai, and her pack, consisting of her mate and eighteen pups, had followed Naruto, Tier, Lily, and Rias through a teleport circle. Heading for new adventures and a new life, Scarlet wondered just what kind of fun she could have at the side of this not-human.

Naruto, on the hand, was wondering just where they would put eighteen oversized eager puppies and their two giant parents. Would Van be able to share that house with them? Oh well, he'd just have to cross that bridge later.

 **XxXxXxXx- Omake -Temari's Power of Domination**

Temari found herself standing in a visual world of wind and sand, much like the desert of her homeland. She felt at home, but also not. It was strange, just like the fact that there were two suns in this world...

 _Wait, two suns?_

The suns were easy to identify as being the cores of both her chakra and magic. One in a pale green, had to be her chakra, though she'd have thought it would be white for her Wind affinity. The other was a brilliant gold.

"Yeah, that's gotta be my magic," Temari said with a sweat drop. "But how do I talk to it?"

" _Well, you could ask!"_ An obnoxious voice called out.

Startled, Temari jumped. "What?"

" _Oh, re-lax! It's just me! You know, your magic? Sheesh, you'd think you'd never heard of a talking core before!"_

Her eyes wide, Temari said, "I haven't..."

" _Oh... my bad! Well, let's get down to business. We need to determine what you_ need _from me."_

Temari sighed in frustration, this core was already grating on her nerves! "I don't suppose you can do anything about controlling these damned hormones, can you?"

" _Pfft! That? That's easy! Is that what you_ NEED _though?"_

"Yeah, I'd rather not be jumping the first decently attractive guy out there."

She got the sense that the orb shrugged, then it gained a slight pinkish cast that had her worried.

" _Alright, Domination of Lust, achieved! Good luck with that..."_

Her eyes widened again, this time in horror at both what the core said and the impish tone. "FUCK ME!"

" _Well, if you insist..."_

"That's it! I'm out! Goodbye, and thanks!" Temari promptly willed herself to eject from her inner world. She couldn't deal with this anymore! A smart-ass, kind of peppy version of that lazy Nara would drive her insane! And this was the personality of her magical core? Oh by Kami *wince* what had she done to deserve this?

 **XxXxXxXx- 2nd Omake -Gaara's Power of Domination**

Standing in a desert on top of a pyramid surrounded by an oasis, Gaara stared at four suns. A pale green he figured was his Wind affinity, a golden brown he thought would be his Earth affinity, a strange white sun that he guessed might be the remnants of Shukaku's power, and a bright gold that had to be his magic.

" _...Alright *yawn* let's get this over with. Whaddya need?"_ A lazy and tired voice from the gold sphere asked.

If he had been anyone else, Gaara might have been put off by the sheer amount of laziness his magic exhibited. Instead he just said, "I need to assist my new brother with keeping order in our House."

" _*Yawn*...Okay, Domination of Authority, achieved. Goodnight."_

Gaara turned and willed himself back to reality. Well, that went smoothly.

 **XxXxXxXx- Ending Notes**

Alright, Timeline check! At the end of this chapter approximately eight months have gone past since Naruto became a devil.

1- Rekki-Maru: the games label this weapon as a ninjato, yet Taki's weapon style is labelled as dual-kodachi. Considering the size difference is rather negligible, I can see why the games do this, but it's damned frustrating as an author.

2- Double-sword vs Two-Sword: this is true. A Double-blade has an advantage against a single weapon because it can attack in ways the single weapon can't defend against. In the same way two swords can attack from various angles that a double-blade simply cannot defend against properly due to its length. Conversely, a two-sword style has a disadvantage against a single sword due to the lack of arm strength on any one of it's blades. It's something of a weapon triangle. From there it all depends on the user.

3- Yosokage: I'm still not certain which code is used to get that damned line accent, but this term pretty much translates as "Elements Shadow". Very fitting for the remnants (shadows) of the Elemental Nations. [Yōso (要素)]

4- Aibou: literally translates as "Partner" for those who don't know. It does _not_ denote partners in the sexual sense, but those who work together (ie: police, or Reno and Rude from FF7). Also sometimes used used by swordsmen to refer to a particular sword they have had for a great amount of time and feel a close connection with.

Current Peerage (Familiar):

 **Queen:** Tier Harribel (Undine)

 **Bishop:** Rias Gremory (Devil Bat/Magic Bat), Akitsu

 **Knight:** Aayla Secura (Gryphon), Saber Lily

 **Rook:** Titania (Celestial Charger)

 **Pawn:** Pyrrha Nikos (Magic Wolf), Taki, Arcanine

 **... I know, I know, a Pokémon? Really? Well let me explain a little bit about this choice of mine. It wasn't just the loyalty factor, though that did come into play a little, it was more that I wanted something that hadn't been done before, and as far as I know no one has ever had an animal. I know that pokémon aren't technically animals, what with the far greater intelligence, but my point stands. Plus, if Sairorg Bael can have a Sacred Gear, the Gear itself, as a member of his peerage, I figured I could do a Pokémon. I thought about all sorts of possible animals when I was creating the peerage, from legends to myths to simply rare beasts, and then the idea of Arcanine crossed my mind... At first I was, like, "No, I can't do that. What the hell am I thinking?" But the more I tried to tell myself no... yeah, I ended up talking myself into it. So there it is, Arcanine the Pawn.**

 **... ... ... Plus, it _is_ the "Legendary" Pokemon... ... ... Okay, yeah, that was a bad joke on my part. But at least it was worth three of his remaining Pawn Pieces. That leaves him with: 1 Rook, 1 Mutated Pawn of +1 value. Grand Total = 2 Pieces left!**

 **Now, I've been told that this story of mine is dragging on and becoming somewhat boring. I do apologize for that, and to make things a little more interesting... next chapter is going to feature multiple acquisitions! I'm not breaking my rule of "no more than one character from any world in the peerage", but I'll be bringing in the final members.**

~Dreaming of the Phoenix


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:** Alright, so I've gotten some new Betas, and had apparently misunderstood the words of another, so my Beta list stands at: StarBlaze24, Zazuki Kurosuki, and MCRasengan. Thanks to all of them for their assistance.

 **Disclaimer: See Chapter 01**

 **Chapter 16: Adjustments Pt10, The Only Man, and The Final Rook**

Naruto watched as Scarlet, his newest Pawn, was put through her paces by Shalltear two weeks after acquisition. The small vampire said she had an idea as to which other Piece the Arcanine was suited for, and she wanted to be there to see it. She'd done the same with Taki, who had proved to be highly suited for the Knight unsurprisingly.

Kurama sat not far from him which had become more common lately. Naruto was uncertain as to the fox's motivations, but he didn't mind the added company. Besides, Kurama had taken a shine to getting his ears scratched, and Naruto was only too happy to oblige as the fur there was incredibly soft.

Shalltear was going on her typical rant about how Pawns were always suited to at least one other of the Pieces, and explaining in detail about what each Piece did. Scarlet listened intently. She understood the general gist of things, and she wanted to be the strongest to help her new Master who had proven to be both fun and kind. So Scarlet would put her all into doing just that.

"Naruto-sama, if you would grant her permission?" Shalltear all but demanded. She may serve him, and she may have acknowledged that he was the new Lord of her beloved House Asmodai, but nothing would ever change Shalltear.

Naruto sighed with a smile and locked eyes with Scarlet. "Permission to Promote, granted."

A moment later and Scarlet was surrounded by a rising column of energy, one far more impressive than that of Pyrrha's Rook transformation, or even Taki's Knight. Naruto's eyes widened when he realized which Piece Scarlet must have chosen, and why Shalltear waited two weeks.

Shalltear was smirking, "Not every day I get to see a Pawn who could have been a Queen."

"Should I be worried about whether or not she can handle that power?" Naruto asked the petite vampire.

"Not really. For some reason rather than acting as a full devil, Scarlet over there seems to act more like a Familiar. She's leeching off you somehow to strengthen herself." Shalltear shrugged.

Naruto hummed a bit in thought at the power surge dropped to a nimbus of golden light surrounding Scarlet. "It may have to do with the way my Pawns work and something with how Scarlet herself thinks. From what we've observed so far, the Pawns seem to grant a boost to natural endurance. With how things generally worked in her world, at least from what we've seen on T.V.," he grimaced a little at the thought, "we can assume that her thought process may have twisted her Pieces to depending on me for her rise in power somehow. Much like how a Trainer would be viewed as the reason for his Pokémon's rise in ability."

"So the likelihood of her getting a Familiar..." Kurama started the thought.

"Isn't very high." Shalltear finished. "If she doesn't need to complete contracts, but instead leeches off Naruto-sama, then she has no need for one. She can simply remain by Naruto-sama's side at all times."

The nimbus around Scarlet died down as the power boost was allowed to drop. She'd heard everything of course. Her hearing was much sharper than a humans, and even these not-humans in some cases. But their discussion seemed odd to her. Was she not supposed to rely on her new Master? Would he not rely on her? This was how things were supposed to work, right? Each relying on the other to rise to even greater heights?

Naruto grinned and motioned Scarlet over, and began scratching under her chin in the way he'd learned she liked with his free hand. "Well that's fine, isn't it? That's the kind of peerage I'm trying to build anyway. One that works together, relies on one another, and grows together. Scarlet just understood it instinctively. Nothing wrong with that."

Kurama grunted and closed his eyes as Naruto's skillful scratches lulled him back into a daze. "Works for me."

Scarlet licked her Master's face in joy. He understood! He would guide, she would protect, and together with the others she could sense bonded to him, along with her mate and brood they would become a true Pack.

Naruto looked over to Shalltear and asked, "What made you certain she was suited for Queen?"

The vampire shrugged and looked away in embarrassment. "I looked up her species with Rias' help. The personality of devoting herself to her Master is ingrained into her very genetics, while her body is ideally suited to both speed and power, and her race is known for powerful attacks of both the physical and elemental natures. Combined this presents the best case for someone who is well situated for the Queen position."

Naruto blinked, looked at Scarlet again, then shrugged. "Meh, well it's all good."

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto's eyebrow twitched heavily the following day as he stared at the Mirror of Remote Viewing. "NOW?! Now one of my Pieces reacts to a male?! What the ever-loving _fuck_?"

Kurama snickered beside him, and Scarlet tilted her head in confusion. Whatever could be wrong? So the floating picture-thing was showing the image of a depressed human boy, was this not what it was supposed to do?

Naruto noticed their reactions and sighed. "You see, Scarlet, this is a device I use to see into other worlds, like where I found you. In this case it's showing me the image of a potential pack member."

Scarlet let out a sound of understanding. So that's what it was! Okay, she could work with that. And this sad child was a potential pack member? She wondered what it would take to make that reality.

"Fuck it, what do you say we deal with this ourselves?" Naruto asked the two at his side. "I'd take the others, but he doesn't seem to be one to be swayed by numbers."

Scarlet barked in acceptance. She would gladly go with her Master.

Kurama thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "Why not? Not like I'm doing anything otherwise." He saw a smirk form on Naruto's face and quickly headed off any thoughts the young man might be having. "That doesn't mean I'm willing to distribute those flyers of yours!"

Naruto deflated, that was exactly what he was about to mention. "Okay..."

He couldn't help it. The picture of Kurama running around and delivering those flyers was funny!

With a sigh, he sent a brief message to Gaara that he'd be out for a bit. The redhead's Domination of Authority ability really cemented Naruto's plans nicely as it allowed Gaara to temporarily expand his presence and "authority" in a situation to command damn near anyone he wanted. This in turn got Albedo so riled up and hot under the collar that she had practically jumped him. And unlike Naruto, Gaara had no problems with returning the favour to the beautiful woman.

 _Ah well, at least Gaara didn't have to put up with suppressing his hormones like I did, and Albedo's finally happy with an Asmodai. Double Win! And Temari's able to suppress her own lusts rather easily thanks to_ her _Domination… Lucky little..._

With one last disgruntled grunt, Naruto, Scarlet, and Kurama vanished in a flash of gold.

 **XxXxXxXx**

 _Why did they kill him? Sure, he said he was gonna destroy the planet, but he was the only one to recognize us. He was the only one to realize what we each needed, and he gave that to each of us._

 _And Nagisa killed him. Why?_

These thoughts swirled endlessly as a young man with bright red hair wandered around town aimlessly. He had been part of a special project over the previous year, to assassinate an incredibly fast and powerful individual that was threatening the very planet they lived on. His class in particular was the guinea pig for this project, as they were taught various assassination techniques.

The best part of it all? They were being taught these techniques by their target! In an ironic twist the very target of their assassination job was their teacher for their third year of Junior High. They had that one year to kill their target, or the very Earth was doomed.

It wasn't as easy as it sounded.

First, their target wasn't human, but some strange yellow octopus thing. Second, it was immune to bullets, but not to a special kind of plastic. Third, it was charismatic and caring, easily bringing around even the most introverted student to believing in it as both a person and a teacher. Fourth, and this was perhaps the most irritating one, the son of a bitch could go from zero to Mach 20 in an instant! Never mind the other dozen-or-so one-off tricks, the fact that it could- and did! -commonly travel to other countries just to get it's freaking _lunch_ irritated the hell out of everyone in the class.

To top things off there were a couple of extra human teachers. One was a government agent highly versed in the methods of assassination, the other was an actual Femme Fatale assassin. The woman, well, Karma barely paid any attention to her outside of learning something new and potentially useful. Mostly language lessons, if he was to be perfectly honest. Vitch-sensei(1) was, to be perfectly frank, annoying. Karasuma-sensei, on the other hand, was a man after Karma's own heart. Well, not as playful, but the skill the man showed on a regular basis was the kind of thing that Karma wanted to believe he himself possessed on a certain level. And in the past year, Karma was fairly certain he had achieved that level of skill, that awareness of his surroundings.

"Hey."

Karma whirled around. Someone other than Nagisa, Mister "No Presence" himself, had snuck up on him? Impossible!

Yet there was the evidence. A blonde man about Karma's own age, three whisker marks, charcoal business suit, black shoes, and a- was that an annoyed expression?

"So." The blonde said dispassionately, his bearing something Karma couldn't quite read. "You're in despair about something, huh? Normally I'd say 'tell me about it', but right now... I just can't be stuffed. So, I'm gonna give it to you straight from the outset. My name's Naruto Asmodai. I'm a devil, the real kind, from Hell. We call it the Underworld, but pretty much the same thing. I'm here to give you an offer to join a group I'm putting together. It'll increase your lifespan, give you some neat magical powers, and allow you to piss off damn near anyone you want, up until I say otherwise. You interested?"

Karma just stared at him. "Mmm, say I was, what would be the catch?"

The blonde just deadpanned at him. "You'd be serving me as a member of the group, you wouldn't be human anymore, and light- sunlight or whatever -would be somewhat draining on you."

Karma raised one red eyebrow, "We're standing in sunlight now."

"I'm aware," Naruto said. "And it's having an effect on me, just not one you can currently sense."

"Hmm, what if I were to just kill you here and now?" Karma asked, a knife appearing from his pocket.

"I kill you instead and go find someone else," Naruto replied easily. "Considering the effort it takes to get to some of you, I'd rather not do that, but if you attack me that will be the end result." He paused for a moment, "either that or they'll kill you first."

"They?"

Naruto just made a motion to either side, and Karma saw two large reddish beasts. One was distinctly fox-like, with multiple tails, glowing red eyes, and a grin that just begged Karma to do something stupid so it could rend him limb from limb.

 _Okay, that is not something I want to piss off._

He turned his head the other way to study the second beast and...

...He blanked out for a moment upon seeing it. That couldn't be what he thought it was, could it? Almost mechanically his head turned back to Naruto with a raised eyebrow.

"...Is that a pokémon?"

"Yes."

"A real one?"

"Said I was a real devil, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Said I was looking to make a group, right?"

"Yeah..."

"And that some of you were hard to get?"

"...So that's what you meant?"

"Doesn't get much more difficult than travelling between universes."

Karma felt a sweatdrop form, "Yeah, I guess so..."

Naruto sighed and waved a hand in the air, dismissing the topic. "So, you interested or not? I could stand here all day, but I'd rather not. Kurama would probably get a bit annoyed."

"Which one's Kurama?"

"You really need to ask?" Naruto stared at him in disbelief. "Seriously, between a giant fox and a giant dog, which is more suited to that name? Come on, man, you're Japanese! You should know this one by heart."

Karma felt like facepalming, so he did. "The fox."

Naruto nodded, "the fox. And no, he's not a Ninetales. Figure I'd get that outta the way."

"Ah."

Karma dropped into thought for a minute. Then he shrugged. "Why not? Cannot honestly be more boring and disappointing than what's left for me in this world."

Naruto shrugged in response, "couldn't tell you. I have no idea what might be left for you to do here, but I suppose you should be right. Trouble seems to follow me like a scorned lover."

"Cool," Karma gave a strange grin that was entirely too wide. "So, how do we do this?"

Naruto held up a transparent red dragon sculpture. "You take a hold of this. It then enters your body, binding you to me as my servant- a Pawn if you're curious -and then I take you away from boredom."

"Sounds good to me," Karma said confidently as he grabbed the piece.

Naruto watched as Karma's eyes glazed over and crumple to the ground, only to be caught by Scarlet, and said, "Why do I get the feeling I've just unleashed hell on the Underworld?"

Kurama barked out a laugh, "Because you can see as readily as I can that this boy loves chaos, and will go to great lengths to get a laugh."

Naruto looked at the crumpled body of his newest Pawn laying over Scarlet's back, and sighed.

"What is it with me and redheads?" Seriously, this guy made four!

Scarlet licked his cheek in an attempt to lift his spirits.

It didn't really work.

 **XxXxXxXx**

"So this is Hell, huh?"

"Pretty much."

"Not quite what I was expecting."

"Never is for the first timer. Everyone expects fire and brimstone and screams of the damned, but that starts one level down from here."

"There are levels?"

"Seven levels of Hell, each one pertaining to one of the Seven Deadly Sins, and then there's this place. We're kinda more in the gateway, so to speak."

"So we're not quite in Hell, but not quite outside it either."

"Yup or so I'm lead to believe."

This was the enlightening conversation between Naruto and Karma taking place with the rest of the peerage. The women could seem to decide if they should be laughing at just how similar these two were, or worried at the same thing. It was quickly looking like it might end up a combination of the two.

"Is that mirror supposed to be doing that?" Karma asked, looking off to one side and seeing a mirror through a set of doors.

"At least once more, yes. Looks like my last Piece found my final member already." Naruto said as he got up from his chair to look, "This outta be interesting... Oh, come on. I thought I broke that trend!"

"Apparently not." Karma grinned. Even he had noticed that Naruto's peerage seemed to tend toward the "Babes N' Blades" profile. It looked like aside from him that trend would be continuing.

"Damn." Naruto sighed, "Well, who wants to come along?"

"I believe that this would be a good experience for everyone, Naruto-sama." Tier said.

Naruto shrugged, "alright. Then get ready, looks like a minor war zone in there this time. Not unlike when we had to go get Aayla."

Karma blinked, _Oh, I have got to get that story later._

 **XxXxXxXx**

 _W-what's going on? Why is all of this happening?_ She thought to herself as her world was practically reduced to ash around her. Her short blue hair tossed about in the wind did little to hide the sight around her from her amber eyes. Her blue tabard and silver armour were tattered.

"Man, why do war zones have to be so.. messy? I mean, this just reminds me of the shape I found Konoha in..."

The sound of a young man's depressed voice from nearby brought her out of her stupor. Her gaze shifted around just enough to see a blonde man in a rendition of traditional shinobi garb and carrying a double-bladed sword. Amber met silver-blue with incomprehension, as if unable to understand how there could be life still in the world, let alone the area.

"I imagine because no one has cleaned up yet, Naruto-sama."

Amber eyes travelled a short distance to another blonde. This one was a tall woman in incredibly revealing armour and skirt and boots, but the giant sword held easily in her hand indicated a certain amount of familiarity to combat.

"You have a point, Tier-chan, but that's not really what I meant." The young man said.

"Aren't you getting off-topic, Naruto-kun?"

The girl's amber gaze swivelled to the opposite direction. A teen girl with bright red hair the colour of freshly spilled blood stood there in armour reminiscent of ancient Greece, and the javelin and shield combo for weapons assisted in hardening that image.

"That's true, Pyrrha-chan," the blonde man said, bringing the blue haired girl's attention back to him. "So, aside from the fact that it seems like Armageddon has been unleashed, what seems to be the problem?"

"You mean other than my entire village being wiped out only a few days before I was to be sent on my first assignment?" The girl replied bitterly, yet in a strange monotone.

The young man shrugged, "I kinda put that in under the 'Armageddon Unleashed' part."

"Then nothing much, aside from not knowing where my best friend or my younger sister are." She paused for a moment, glancing around to see several other people besides the first three. One red haired girl that could easily be mistaken for the sister of the previous girl, a red haired boy, and a red haired woman in armour. Two blonde women, one of which as absurdly tall and wearing the most revealing set of armour the girl had ever seen, the other gave off the image of a Holy Knight despite how tiny she seemed. One brunette that seemed to have a fetish for chains to go with her white and blue miko outfit, one raven haired woman in skintight red kunoichi garb, and a blue skinned woman with… were those tentacles coming from the top of her head? Well, not the weirdest thing out there. And finally a…

The girl blanked for a moment, then brought deadpan eyes back to the blonde boy who seemed to be the spokesman of the group. "Is that a pokémon?"

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yes, Scarlet's a pokémon, an Arcanine to be exact. And before you ask, no, Kurama is not a Ninetales."

Kurama snorted, "I should think not. I am far more powerful than some animal."

The girl stared at the fox for a moment, then turned her blank gaze back to the blonde man. "So? What do you want?"

"I'm looking to build a group, a family to look after each other and fight by each others side. I have one position left, and I believe you would finish it well."

"And you are?"

"Ah, forgot my introduction again, did I?" He looked sheepish for a moment, then his stance and gaze firmed. "Naruto Asmodai, head of the Asmodai House. Just not the one I believe you are familiar with."

The blue haired girl blinked in obvious shock. "You can't be a devil. I'm of the Hero Clan, we are taught to sense devils, and _I can't sense you_."

"That might be because I was originally human." Naruto shrugged. "I'm not entirely certain, as this is the first time I'm meeting a legit hero. Plus, like I said, I'm not the kind of devil you're used to."

The girl frowned, "what do you mean?"

Naruto shrugged, "well, to start with we're not from this universe, just kinda accepted for the time being. For another I'm pretty sure that we don't give off the same feeling as those descendants of fallen Angels you're familiar with. We aren't 'Unholy' and we aren't 'Corrupted Light'. We are supposedly 'Shadow', though most of the devils were I come from would prefer 'Darkness'... but they're mostly pretentious, dramatic asshats with dreams of glory."

The girl looked at him like he'd lost his marbles for a moment, then her face cleared into a blank mask. She focused on him, extending her senses. As the leader of this group he would be the best possible subject to feel out for what he spoke of.

 _He feels... like sunlight on the beach... a warm blanket on a cold night... but also like a barely contained vortex of power, like the Wind itself flows through him, but in a timeless sense... otherwise he just feels... human._ She thought as she tried to make sense of what she was feeling from this young man.

After what seemed to be an eternity for the on-guard devils, the girl nodded once firmly. "Nonaka Yuki of the Hero Clan. What would joining this group of your entail?"

Naruto blinked. This was going far better than he had thought it would. Well, aside from being in the middle of a war zone, surrounded by potential enemies that might decide to ambush them at any moment for standing still. That part was at least mitigated as he motioned Karma and Akitsu and Titania onto roving guard duty.

"Ah... let's see.. well let's get the part that you'd probably like the least: you would become a devil with all the ups and downs included, such as increased lifespan with a sensitivity and weakness toward sunlight."

Yuki didn't bat an eyelash and simply made a "keep going" motion with her hand. She wanted as much information as possible as she could get.

"Then there's the magic, and since I'd be reincarnating you with this item," Naruto held up what looked like a small transparent red sculpture of a castle on a mountainside for a moment, "You would become my 'servant'. This item also brings a couple of nifty tricks, such as greater physical strength and defence, and a small amount of regeneration(2)."

 _So far the benefits outweigh the cons..._ Yuki thought to herself. _The real question within this so far seem to be whether or not I'm willing to become a devil and serve under this man? Under normal circumstances I probably would have turned down his offer without a second thought, but do I really have anything left to live for here?_

"That's pretty much it in a nutshell," Naruto said, only to thump his fist into an open palm a moment later. "Oh, I almost forgot about the Familiar. A magical companion that is bound to you for life and will do various things for you. Kurama here is my first Familiar, though my deal with him is a little different."

He held up a hand as he saw her draw a breath to ask the obvious question, "in the interests of expediting this, I'll just say that my deal with Kurama is not really pertinent at the moment." He paused for a moment, then added sheepishly, "though I should mention you also get one wish granted within my power. I'm limited at the moment, because I'm not really that experienced, but I'll do my best to abide by your desire."

Yuki blew out the breath she had drawn to ask about that very subject. He was right, though. His deal with the kitsune wasn't pertinent, though that wish was interesting. Instead she looked around at the scenery around her. Burning buildings, dead humans and demons and devils littered the ground and even a few roofs. Her home village was pretty much wasted. Her assignment, something she was supposed to be given today, was probably moot and pointless now. Her friends were gone, and her family with them most likely. They had been gearing up to celebrate her first official long-term mission, and she could see the blood pooling from the burning doorway from her current position only a few dozen feet away.

Yuki knew, if she looked inside and saw her friends and family dead, or dying, she wouldn't be able to hold herself together. Yet she couldn't stop herself from taking those steps, those self-destructive strides. Unknowing and currently uncaring that Naruto and his his group followed her at a respectful distance, Yuki found herself suddenly looking inside what was once her home. Many would wonder why she hadn't done this earlier, but a tiny portion of her mind realized that Naruto had showed up when he had to try and distract her from this, to save her from having to witness what lay beyond that door.

Her mind froze, unable to properly process what she saw. Blood by the bucket splashed the area liberally, dismembered limbs and eviscerated torsos littered the floor and even decorated the walls in some cases. Her parents' heads stared up at her blankly from the floor just beyond the door while her little sister's was seemingly put in place of the dinner feast. Her friends had been brutally torn to pieces and added to the side dishes, and there were several demons dancing and laughing. It looked to be the demons' version of the very celebratory feast that was supposed to be her send-off.

One of the demons looked at the doorway and smiled grotesquely. "Would you look at that? Looks like we missed one! Hahah!"

Naruto stepped up behind Yuki and placed his hand on her shoulder, eyeing the demons dangerously. He forced her to look at him, turning her away from the gore spattered room beyond. "Yuki, is this the wish you have? If you wish for me to give your family justice, I will. You have but to say the word, and every last demon here will die for their crime."

The demon spoke in an arrogant tone, "As if one human could kill all us! Who do you think you're kidding?"

Naruto gaze snapped to the demon and held it with a burning hatred that caused it to step back a little. "I wasn't talking to you, asshat. So be silent until she has made her decision. But, Yuki, remember there is always a price to be paid."

Yuki shuddered at the raw authority in his voice. He meant it. If she gave the word he would kill each and every demon in that building. If she wished for it. If she paid the price. If she joined his group, if she herself became a devil and served him.

It wasn't honestly much of a choice, in her opinion.

She nodded once, decisively. "I wish it. In return I will join you."

Naruto nodded, and stepped around her, cracking his knuckles and then producing his double-bladed sword. "Then the Bargain is struck. May not even God Himself break this Sacred Contract. Now, don't blink asshats, this will be all over in a moment."

Yuki didn't blink. She didn't even turn her head. She wanted the sight of these demons getting the justice they deserved to be branded into her mind for all time. Behind her two of the women shuddered in a combination of fear and arousal. Tier and Akitsu felt their King's raging emotions of righteous anger, vindication, exultation, and a strange calm overriding it all. There was no doubt in their minds that this would be another form of stress relief for their lover, and they would _so_ be jumping his bones later.

Naruto summoned his magic, his power over Time understanding that this was not the time for playing and responded appropriately. To Naruto's vision everything stopped, the fires no longer crackled, the air was no longer heavy, the demons ceased to even breathe. He did a quick head count of those he could see. Seventeen. That would be a difficult number to deal with with his current control over wide areas, so he shifted his magic's parameters. Time around him began to move normally, but Naruto became a blur. A single streak of gold flashed between every demon in sight.

Yuki finally blinked. He had been correct. It had taken but a moment and the demons were reduced to crumbling corpses. He eyes had done their best to track his movements, but they had been unable to catch anything but his back trail. That kind of speed shouldn't be possible! At least not without heavy repercussions...

Then she found him. He was kneeling, holding one hand to his chest as he gasped for breath. The pain he felt was evident upon his face as she slowly approached him from the side.

"What was that?" She asked, awe slightly colouring her voice as she stared at the teen who had just given her family justice.

"Time Alter: Pentacle Accel.(3)" Naruto gasped out heavily. "Give me... a minute... to catch my breath... Tier-chan... set up the others around this house... Titania... by me, please..."

His peerage leaped into oiled movement, each to their place in a guard formation, Titania at Naruto's side as his final line of defence. He was obviously exhausted, his still gasping form was testament to that, yet Yuki saw the loyalty of his people in that instant, and the charisma needed to obtain said loyalty. She knew, without words, that these people followed this young man because they wanted to, because he gave them something they each longed for in some way.

And Nonaka Yuki, last known member of the Hero Clan, found herself falling into place opposite Titania on Naruto's other side, a flash of green energy and she stood with her blade drawn to defend him.

"What was that item he spoke of, Titania-san?" Yuki asked as she held her position.

"A Rook from a very special chess set known as Evil Pieces," the redheaded woman explained. "For some reason the creator of the pieces has something of an obsession with that game, and made the items after it. It is the catalyst needed to force a reincarnation into a devil."

"Where you human before?"

"Yes, a Paladin in my world."

"Paladin!" Yuki was shocked. What could a Paladin want so badly as to become a devil, the very beings they were sworn against?

Titania gave a small chuckle, though her guard never dropped. "Not a Paladin as you may know it. In my world I was a high-ranked knight with a rather large amount of experience, which dropped me into the classification of Paladin. In fact I had just been promoted to the class of Great Knight when Master Naruto came for me."

"Why would you go with him when you had received such prestige?"

"Because he was honest with me from the get-go, and gave me a new purpose when the world I was born to was about to head into an era of peace and prosperity that would likely deny the need for such a person as I," Titania said simply.

Yuki's face twitched into the barest minimum of a smile. "Something tells me that's a recurring theme."

"Very similar, yes," Naruto said, his voice no longer nearly so strained. "Many of your future teammates have a rendition of 'despair turned to hope'. It was one of the things I had the Pieces actively search for, so I could at least give someone else the chance at a new life like I had received."

"Why?' Yuki asked, honestly curious.

"Wasn't born a devil any more than the rest of you," Naruto admitted easily as he moved to a cross-legged position. "I was born Uzumaki Naruto, son of Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato, though they died the same day I was born so I didn't get to know them. Lord Gressen Asmodai used a ritual to exchange Minato's blood in me for his own. So I'm now Naruto Asmodai."

Yuki blinked once. "Devils can do that?"

"Not easily, and there are more complications for me with this than for you with the Rook piece."

"Complications? Like what?"

"Increased sexual hormones from puberty, but a mind that can't quite control or process them," he replied dryly. "You ever wonder why devil's are pictured as a promiscuous race? It's due to an increase in testosterone and estrogen- and a few other things -that came about as a response to our low birth-rates."

"What?"

"We have a ton of sex, but we aren't exactly surrounded by children," Naruto said bluntly. "We live so long that the Universe Itself put a limit on our potential numbers. Just think of what it could be like if a long-lived race like devils, a race that can live pretty much indefinitely, were to be able to reproduce at the same speed as humanity. The world would pretty much be overrun by immortals. We'd have to live in a constant state of war in order to return nutrients to the planet, that otherwise takes place during physical decomposition, to produce things for the future. In short, there needs to be a limit placed on us."

Yuki blinked more. She hadn't thought of it like that.

"There's also the fact that devils, angels, and the like are more of spiritual beings rather than flesh and blood," Naruto said wryly. "Which is part of why we live so long. Our spirits transcend our physical shells, and Nature took things a step or two further."

"Oh." She didn't quite understand, but she figured it would come with time.

He waved the conversation off, "That's a discussion for another time, and honestly it's more of a personal theory that isn't quite fleshed out yet... no pun intended."

Yuki just stared at him. It really was a bad pun, and poorly timed at that. Talking about physical bodies and then throwing out that comment of "fleshing out" a theory... yeah, that was bad. So she figured she'd let it pass.

"So how do we do this?" She asked, a rare trace of nervousness in her voice.

Naruto held up the strange red statue again. "Simple, you take this and allow it to enter you, to change you. The process will most likely knock you out for a while, but when you next wake you'll be a devil and I'll have taken you away from this nightmare."

He waved a hand around him at the nightmare in question. Yuki had to agree that this was her personal nightmare, and she wanted dearly to leave it behind. The only thing keeping her steady through all of this, in any shape, was her training as a Hero.

Yuki didn't bat an eyelash as she stared into Naruto's eyes while taking the Rook into her hand. Her last vision was of his kind smile, his understanding eyes, and the silent promise both held that he would be there for her when she awoke. She smiled a true smile and allowed the blackness to take her, remake her.

Nonaka Yuki, Rook of Naruto Asmodai, was born.

 **XxXxXxXx- Ending Notes**

 **1-** Vitch-sensei: I know there are going to be people on my case about this, and I'm going to set the record straight right now! The Japanese don't do "V" any more than they do "L", so they substitute. And while, yes, the students are indeed saying "Bitch-sensei", they are merely mispronouncing "Vitch" as a common running gag.

 **2-** Naruto's Rook: remember people, that his Pieces gained something extra from him. In this case the Rooks gained a small amount of his regenerative/healing ability. Not to the level of what Kurama could induce, but certainly greater than what a human would have otherwise.

 **3-** Time Alter: yes, this is indeed the same thing Emiya Kiritsugu uses in the Fate Series. He went up to Square Accel, which was a Four times boost. If you can't figure out on your own that Pentacle Accel is a _five_ times boost... then I weep for the future of mankind.

Inferno Phoenix asked me to add in which world each member of the peerage is from, so I will.

 **Current Peerage (World/Familiar):**

 **Queen:** Tier Harribel (Bleach/Undine)

 **Bishop:** Rias Gremory (DxD/Devil Bat, Magic Bat), Akitsu (Sekirei/?)

 **Knight:** Aayla Secura (Star Wars/Gryphon), Saber Lily (Fate Series/?)

 **Rook:** Titania (Fire Emblem/Celestial Charger), Nonaka Yuki (Shinmai Maou/?)

 **Pawn:** Pyrrha Nikos (RWBY/Magic Wolf), Taki (Soul Calibur/?), Arcanine (Pokémon), Akabane Karma (Assassination Classroom/?)

 **Akabane Karma from Assassination Classroom! The only other male in the group! That ought to be interesting, no? And then there's the final Rook, who would have guessed Nonaka Yuki from Shinmai Maou no Testament? Answer: To date, no one. Seriously, Shinmai Maou and DxD are so compatible it's kinda like they're the same world with slightly different view points. Not entirely, of course, but the similarities are there.**

 **So the Peerage is complete! Quite the group, ain't it? Gotta wonder just how this will work when I get to canon. Even I don't know! Only time will tell, and so far it's been a fun ride, so let's all hope for that fun to continue.**

 **I'd like to point out to someone who mentioned Rias' peerage to me, that Rias first met Akeno when she was 11. Currently she is 10, maybe just turned 11. I have time if I want to save Akeno from being killed. Not much, theoretically, but there is some.**

 **~Dreaming of the Phoenix**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 01.

 **Chapter 17: Finally! A Freaking Vacation!… Oh, Come ON!**

Sirzechs Lucifer, leader of the Four Maou, and basically the undisputed most powerful devil, was laughing hysterically. His Queen, who also happened to be his sole wife, was openly gobsmacked. Various other members of the thirty-four remaining Pillar Houses were in similar states at the annual poker game they held to touch base with each other. The other three Maou each had a different expression that was mirrored by one of the other Pillar Heads. Ajuka Beelzebub looked amused, Falbium Asmodeus had an air of resignation, and Serafall Leviathan...

...Was pouting? Okay, Naruto decided to leave that alone as much as devilishly possible.

The reason for the various reactions? Well, as this event was a way to touch base with each other, each of them told of what was perhaps the most interesting or important things going on within their territory in the past year. If they didn't have anything interesting they weren't really obligated to show up.

... And Naruto Asmodai had had a very interesting past eight-and-a-half months.

Naruto sighed in his place at the table, Tier standing behind him- yet another common thing, apparently, was to bring the Queen of your Peerage with you -his cards untouched this round, though he had stayed in the game with his bets. "I get it, I get it. The new Asmodai is interesting. Yeesh."

Ajuka got control of himself, "So that little vampire found that glitch in the system, right? What did you get for Pawns?"

"In order? Pyrrha was Rook potential, Taki was Knight, Scarlet was Queen, and Karma…. Bishop." Naruto ticked the names off on his fingers, then looked up into the amused expression of the Evil Piece creator, "Yeah, I know. One of each of the other Pieces. Gaara, Temari, Konan, and Yugao found it amusing, too."

Sirzechs snickered, but couldn't quite hide his smile. "Speaking of, how are those ladies? Getting close to birth, right?"

"Yeah, I'm told it shouldn't be much longer," Naruto shrugged. "They aren't too happy with me just now, what with the amount of time I've been spending with others. I think they're starting to feel neglected."

"That's no good, Naru-chan!" Serafall declared childishly as she traded out two cards from her hand to Falbium who was the Dealer this round. Naruto found that interesting, they traded out Dealers each round, and the Dealer wasn't allowed to play. Presumably because everyone at the table knew ways to cheat, but also because they rotated playing members every so often. At the moment it was Naruto, the four Maou, Lord Astaroth, and Zeoticus Gremory. The others were either watching or at the bar getting shitfaced. "You can't neglect the mothers carrying on your human blood!"

"I'm well aware of that, Sera-chan," Naruto sighed. He might have been more annoyed at her mention of his human blood like that, but most of the Lords and Ladies assumed that he used a ritual to separate his human blood for the use of impregnating two other humans just so his mother's line would be continued. They weren't entirely wrong. "And I do try to make time for them, really. And that'll be a bit easier now with Gaara and Temari's help to deal with more of the administration, but I'm at a loss as to what to do for Yugao and Konan."

"Why not take them and your peerage on a vacation?" Sirzechs suggested, raising the pot a bit higher. "I know that the Kuoh territory you got from my parents has some perfectly lovely forest areas, and even a mountain retreat with an absolutely gorgeous lake."

"Hm," Naruto rubbed his chin in thought, "not a bad idea. Now, call!"

As each member of the table flipped their cards, Naruto revealed he'd been given a Royal Flush in hearts. Cursing ran the table's circumference. Looks like he won again. He really shouldn't be playing anyway, Daikoku's Blessing was working overtime in a normal gambling setting.

He traded out on the next round with the lord of House Agares just so the murderous atmosphere could die down a bit. Besides, the vacation idea was a good one, and he was going to take a moment to think more on it.

Maybe he could even add a few dates with his girls to the mix?

 **XxXxXxX**

Now, just a month after that poker game, Naruto stared down a large mob of men and women in various shrine garb in a forest clearing. Behind him trembled a young girl about Rias' age, her long dark hair dishevelled and her dark purple eyes wide with fear, her clothing tattered and ragged. Rias was there, too, as she had called for him through the bond between King and Bishop, and she was trying to keep the shivering girl from panicking any more than she already was. On either side of the young Asmodai head were his two newest peerage members, Nonaka Yuki and Akabane Karma.

"So," Naruto said, his voice deceptively calm and pleasant, "you lot want to chase down and kill a little girl, do you? I'm afraid I take exception to that, but even more… you interrupted the vacation I was taking with my family. So, do tell me exactly why I should let you all live?"

All four of Naruto's group were in various swimwear, testament to the idea of a vacation.

The leader of the group blanched, but held his ground. He was dressed as Naruto would expect a high-ranked priest to be, so the blonde figured him to be the highest ranking member of the group. "That _thing_ behind you is not a child! It is a monstrosity! As true members of the Himejima Shrine, we must remove that stain upon our name from this world!"

Naruto held up a hand, the gesture alone being enough to stop the tirade in its tracks. "That is not what I asked. The question was 'why should I let you live after you interrupted my family's vacation?' I have as yet to hear a reason. For that matter, this is taking place in _my_ territory, not that of the Himejima Shrine, which is, I believe, located somewhere between here and Kyoto. This is Kuoh."

The spokesman snorted, "if this is Kuoh, then it's the territory of the Gremory, not whatever you might be."

Naruto smiled pleasantly, but it in no way touched his eyes. "Yes, it did belong to the Gremory, now it does not. It was given to me when I took their daughter, the redhead behind me, into my peerage. A thank-you gift, if you will. Now, do answer my question."

The human blanched harder, and uneasy muttering started up among the others. Naruto was half-way certain that if the man could fade away, he would. There was no mistaking Rias for anything but a true member of the Gremory family. Anyone who claimed to be acquainted with the supernatural would recognize her as such from the hair alone.

The white-faced priest took a better look at Naruto, and if possible went even more pale.

 _If he loses any more blood to his head, he'll either asphyxiate or faint._ Naruto commented to himself. But because his vacation honestly was being interrupted he was feeling a tad vindictive at the moment. So he decided to push things along.

"I'm waiting." He made a show of checking his watch, as if counting the seconds. "I'm afraid that if you don't hurry up, I'm going to have to conclude that you are all idiots and that the world will be better off without you..."

The head priest swept into a low bow, "I apologize, Lord Asmodai, but this is an internal matter of the Himejima Shrine-"

"Not anymore," Naruto interrupted. "You have brought it into my territory, thus making it my business. And I have as yet to hear a reason to let you all live."

"Um, well..." The head priest fumbled for a reply.

"You monsters already killed Kaa-sama!" The trembling girl suddenly screamed. "Isn't that enough for you?"

"No!" The old priest shouted in response, momentarily forgetting he had an audience now that his attention was focused upon the trembling child. "Your whore of a mother shamed us all when she spread her legs for that Fallen Angel! Then she compounded it by birthing _you!_ You are the very symbol of your mother's bad choices in life, and a stain upon the name of Himejima Shrine! If you are not killed, that stain will remain forever!"

"Okay, yeah, I've heard enough of this bullshit," Naruto cut in, the priest once again looking at him. "This diatribe sounds far too similar to what I was given as a child."

"That's right, you're a half-breed yourself, aren't you? Your mother was just as much a whore as this wretch's! A stain upon not only her family, but all of humanity." The priest sneered, finding courage in his words. "Your mothers should have killed themselves the moment they knew they were with child!"

Naruto's gaze flattened. "You know, prior to that statement, I might have been willing to let you live if you just turned around and left. Now, however… yeah, you're a dead man."

Karma grinned evilly, "You really shouldn't have said that, Priest-man. Isn't talking ill of the dead taboo? You shame your robes."

Yuki grimaced, "I'm of a Hero clan, and even I agree, Karma-san. This scum deserves to die."

The rest of the priests and priestesses looked wary and moved slightly away from their leader. They knew only that the girl was a bastard, born out of wedlock, to a Fallen Angel. They just thought it was right to chase her off so they could go and purify the temple of the Fallen taint. They hadn't realized that the head priest wanted the girl dead.

… Okay, yeah, that last bit was blatant lie on their part, but they didn't want to piss off a High class devil just to kill one girl.

So they distanced themselves from him in an attempt to say without words "We want nothing to do with him and his insanity."

Naruto noticed their action and said to them, "If you leave now, you live."

The elder priest scoffed, and failed to notice his gang backing away from his vicinity as he said, "You really think we're scared of you? A child who cannot defend himself, let alone the ones he stands up for? I may not be as spry as I used to be, but my spiritual powers have not waned in the least, and I can assure you that those with me are powerful as well!"

"Making a lot of assumptions, ain't he?" Karma asked with a grin.

"He is, you wanna disabuse him?" Naruto replied.

"Why not?" Karma said as he casually stepped forward, hands in the pockets of his trunks. He wasn't really bored, the older man's words having pissed him off, but he wasn't the type to show anything but his utter confidence. Karma may never have met Naruto's mother, but he held sacred the bond of parent and child. The fact that this guy was throwing shit all over what bond Naruto had with his mother… yeah, that wasn't going to fly.

Naruto sighed as he watched the rather one-sided beat down. The old priest had some skill in Invocation, but certainly not enough to exorcise a devil that was _physically_ in front of him. Probably could have handled a possession routine fairly easily, though. But Karma _was_ there, it _wasn't_ a possession, and the priest found his ass handed to him pretty quickly.

Karma then grinned evilly, pulled out a roll of duct tape, tied the man up and proceeded to… shove wasabi and hot mustard up the man's nose?

… Naruto decided to focus on the retreating other priests. But damn, he wished he'd thought of something like that a few times.

"Alright, while Karma is giving that man his slow- and no doubt painful -death by humiliation and suffering, I take it the rest of you are willing to negotiate?" Naruto asked the group of priests and priestesses pleasantly. They nodded warily, and his smile turned up a notch. "Wonderful! So, here's the deal, you all go away, back to your shrine, and the girl will come with me and mine. Sounds good, yes? Awesome! I knew it would!"

The group stared at him in sullen silence for a few moments, then turned around and left. They all realized that they didn't really have a say in the so-called negotiation. He was _letting_ them leave. And all they had to do was hand over one inconvenient girl. An easy choice in their minds.

Naruto turned his attention to the girl in question and asked, "now, what are we going to so with you, hm?" He blinked, "actually, before that, what's your name?"

The girl looked up at him, eyes still full of tears, but no longer crying. "Akeno, Himejima Akeno."

"Well, then, Akeno-chan," Naruto's smile warmed the girl and made her feel safer, "what say we take you back to the manor house and get you cleaned up and get some food into you? Then we can talk about what comes next, hm?"

Akeno looked at him for a few moments, her tears eventually fading, and nodded. "Okay."

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto and his group, sans Konan and Rias, had retreated to the mountain manor's study a few days later to talk about what exactly they were to do with the young girl. Said girl was pretty much out like a light the last they had checked, and was well on her way to demolishing their soup stores.

"Running long, builds appetite, but also exhaustion." Akitsu stated quietly once they were behind closed doors.

"The poor child, she must have been running for quite some time," Aayla said sympathetically. Her words were echoed by a nod from Lily.

"The Himejima Shrine is in Kyoto," Naruto said quietly, "that's a good three or four days on foot by road. We're in the mountains, though, so she might have been on the run longer for all I know."

"Sounds familiar, doesn't it, Naruto-kun?" Yugao said in an aside voice as she breastfed one of her newborn twins. Little Kushina, obviously named for Naruto's mother, was surprisingly unfussy unless hungry. Her twin brother, Inari, on the other hand...

The births of the children carrying on Naruto's human line had actually been fairly easy according to the doctors. Naruto's hands would declare otherwise as they still throbbed in remembered pain every so often. Yugao and Konan had apparently not only gotten pregnant at the same time, the children were even competing to be born at the same time. Enough so that he'd had to sit between the two women as they gave birth, holding one of their hands each.

 _Right, Reminder to Self: devil or not, a trained kunoichi's grip is nothing to scoff at!_

In any case Yugao was now a proud mother to his firstborn, Uzumaki Kushina, and his third-born, Uzumaki Inari. While Konan was now mother to Uzumaki Hinata, who gave Kushina a good run for her money to be firstborn, and Uzumaki Yahiko. Two daughters, two sons, staggered between the two mothers, Naruto couldn't believe the timing on them.

 _Could that mean I did the deed with Yugao first, or more, or what? Not like I'm a professional, but even the doctors were surprised at the apparent order of the births…Then there were the names… We'd already decided on some names... my mother's was easy, a good way to honor a woman who had the strength to protect her child no matter the consequence… Hinata, to remember the shy yet strong girl who stood up for what she believed in… Inari, partly for the same fox-like whisker marks I have, and partly to remember that precocious little brat from Nami… and Yahiko, to honor and remember a man who fought and died for his ideals. Good names, all._

Naruto shook his head, _not the time to be thinking about that!_ "Yes, reminds me almost of all the times I pissed off the Anbu enough to chase me for my pranks."

His joking tone easily hid his uneasiness at the situation. The truth was simply that if the villagers of Konoha had cared enough, he might very well have been on the run himself at an even younger age.

 _Though, in a way they did chase me out, by never truly acknowledging me._ He mused.

Shaking his head again, he turned to Pyrrha. "So how is our latest foundling doing, Pyrrha-chan?"

"Surprisingly well, actually," Pyrrha said with a shrug. "I'm not sure if it just hasn't sunk in yet, or if she's really just throwing away her old life for a fresh chance, but she's already adopted a slightly modified maid uniform by adding in elements of what I assume were her shrine priestess robes. And it hasn't even been a full week yet, but she's already picking things up from Melanie and Militia."

"Almost as if she's afraid we'll kick her out if she's not helpful?" Naruto suggested softly.

Pyrrha looked stunned at the idea, then she thought about it and answered slowly, "Yes, very much like that, now that I think about it. From the moment she'd been cleaned up and fed, she practically attached herself to Rias, Yugao, and Konan. How strange..."

"Not really," Naruto corrected. "Rias called for me, in effect saving her life. So there's bound to be a kind of unrecognized debt there. Yugao and Konan are new mothers, and despite not being devils it is obvious that we all take their safety, and that of the children, very seriously. Attaching to them could simply be her way of trying to protect what, to her, could very well be a fragile lifeline. If she makes herself useful to the new mothers who are obviously important to your leader, in this case me, then it's less likely that this new chance at life will be taken from her."

Now it was the rest of the peerage's turn to look poleaxed.

"Surely she doesn't think that we'd save her, just to throw her back out there!" Titania protested.

"Titania," Naruto said gently, "think about the kind of reputation devil-kind has."

The woman winced. She'd forgotten about that. Naruto and the others she'd met hadn't seemed to fall under that stereotype, so it had slipped her mind completely. But a child, one raised in a shrine or church, would have been raised on the idea that devils were some of the worst beings out there. Right below their so-called progenitor, Lucifer himself.

Aayla cleared her throat, "so where is the youngling now?"

Naruto glanced out the window upon hearing a sudden noise, "outside, playing with Rias and Shirone. Konan volunteered to watch over them, which is why she's not with us right now."

"That brings us to a point I'd a like to bring up," Yuki said quietly. "The girl's half-breed blood. I can sense the power of her supernatural blood from here."

"The blood of a Fallen Angel," Naruto mused. "Not necessarily a problem, though. I doubt she's some kind of assassin. She has none of the obvious signs, for one."

Yuki shook her head, "That's not what I mean, Naruto-sama. I mean, if _I_ can feel her from here, then no doubt other beings can as well. She has little or no control of her aura. So much so that she's practically a beacon to those with the right senses. It's not really subtle in any sense of the word."

"Ah, yes… sensory has never really been my strong suit, and with all the changes recently in my life I haven't had the chance to shore that area up. How do you propose to fix that issue?"

Yuki shrugged, "simple. I'll teach her. The Hero Clan uses magic a little differently than most other supernatural bloodlines, so it shouldn't be too difficult as she doesn't really have anything to unlearn. I'm fairly certain that Albedo-san could do so as well, if she weren't so set on getting pregnant with Gaara-sama's child as soon as possible."

Her last sentence brought a chuckle to the room at large. At the rate Albedo was going, Gaara wouldn't have much of an issue with his hormones for too much longer. It almost made Naruto jealous, but he wouldn't give up his current five ladies for anything.

 _Besides,_ he thought humorously, _with Albedo's personality, Gaara may just end up with multiple women as well!_

"Alright then, that's the current plan," Naruto said with an air of finality. "Yuki will teach Akeno how to control and conceal her rather unique presence, and for the time being we'll let the girl continue to assist Yugao and Konan while being dragged off by Rias for some fun once in a while."

Another round of chuckles came in response to the wry tone that ended his statement.

"In the meantime, while she's getting situated, I do believe we have a date, Pyrrha-chan," He finished with a wink at the suddenly blushing redhead. "I'll meet you in the lobby."

Pyrrha just nodded and left the room quickly to the sounds of more amused chuckles. She wasn't the only date he had planned, but Tier had volunteered to go last, while up next would be Akitsu. Naruto intended to get to each of the women involved with him in time, and even had decided to spend time alone with both Yugao and Konan to not only know them better, but as an acknowledgement and thanks for what they had put with already.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Naruto was having a difficult time not drooling over how Pyrrha looked. Her chosen outfit was both stylish and sexy, it was testing the limits of his control. A tight-fitting white blouse with an open neck, brown leather jacket, hip-hugging jeans so form-fitting he almost swore he could see camel-toe- probably just his imagination -a bronze chain belt and a pair of low-heeled strap-styled heels lent her an air of both sophistication and personal appeal that he could hardly blame the other men in the area for looking.

He did get a fair amount of amusement out of watching those men in relationships get their ears bent out of shape for it, though.

"Have I mentioned you look stunning, Pyrrha-chan?" He asked as he snaked an arm around her shoulders to draw her in.

Pyrrha gladly allowed him to pull her closer, resting her head on his shoulder. "Yes, but you can always say it again."

She had noticed the stares as well, but so long as the man for whom she had dressed up for liked it she would happily ignore everything else that might ruin her time with him. This was something she had wanted for so long, to be just an ordinary girl on a date with her boyfriend. She had always wanted to just do something "normal", to be treated as just Pyrrha. Right here, right now, she was getting her wish, and she wouldn't change anything.

She did giggle a bit, though, at the sight she and Naruto must have presented. Somehow he had a similar idea to her for an outfit, just replacing the heels with sneakers and the blouse with a wife-beater. In other words, they had matching outfits, and she found it both amusing and cute at the same time.

Snuggling into him a little more and sending smug grin to the admiring women in the crowd, Pyrrha asked, "So, what's the plan? I'm fine with just spending the day with you, but I figure you have an idea."

Naruto grinned and placed a soft kiss on her head. "I thought, since you always wanted some normalcy, that we might try the old cliché of 'dinner and a movie'."

Pyrrha sighed in contentment, "That sounds lovely."

All in all, Naruto thought the date was a success hours later when he carried her home and put her to bed. He joined her shortly after, and wondered as he drifted off why he hadn't really had much in the way of his usual hormonal surges that day.

 _Damned teenage devil hormones... still not making any sense..._

 **XxXxXxXx**

Akitsu blinked at the sight before her. "Ah.. what's this?"

Naruto smiled, "it's a skating rink. Humans decided they actually liked the ice to play on, and created these places to do just that. I figured it would be fun for us, too."

"…I don't know how to skate," she admitted.

"Neither do I," he replied cheerfully. "But I'm willing to learn with you, Akitsu-chan."

"...Okay."

Naruto decided then and there that he really rather liked it when Akitsu smiled. Such a small thing, but it lit her face like nothing else. For a smile like that he figured he could stand to be made fun of for a bit while he learned to skate with her.

Besides, the sex at the end of the day would totally made it all worthwhile.

Fortunately for him, neither of them ended up making fools of themselves. Akitsu was a natural, no surprise given that it was her element. Naruto found his old balance training from the Academy came into play easily, allowing him to become competent enough to make some other people feel slighted. Their first time on the ice like that, and they were making everyone else look bad...

.. Eh, he didn't care. He was watching Akitsu. A much nicer sight than a bunch of glowering humans. Besides, the kids thought they were some kind of... Olympic paired figure skaters?

 _What the hell are those?_

Shrugging it off as inconsequential, Naruto and Akitsu found themselves enjoying their time on the ice immensely. Only one thing ruined it for Naruto, though. At one point his mind flashed to another ice-user he knew, and he wondered if Haku had every enjoyed the ice in such a way.

Thankfully for Naruto's presence of mind, the thoughts of Haku were quickly chased away by Akitsu's smile. Skating with her, Naruto made yet another promise to himself.

 _Haku is my past, but I need to look forward to my future. I will never forget, but my past will not condemn my future!_

Hours later he felt he was right. The sex at the end of the day was awesome.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Lily laughed as one overly affectionate growlithe pup licked her cheek. She sat near a pond on a grassy shoulder being mobbed by the ever-loyal creatures. Naruto, Scarlet, and the male Arcanine stood off to one side and watched.

Honestly, Naruto had wracked his brain for a good date with Lily, and had decided that a ride on the Arcanine and playing with the pups was a great idea. While she had said that she enjoyed taking care of horses, he figured that a day with the pups and her new Familiar would be ideal.

Naruto grinned as he thought back to how she had obtained her Familiar, the male Arcanine. The pokémon had essentially knocked Lily over and then proceeded to lick her until she got the idea to choose him when she lamented once in his presence about being uncertain about finding her own familiar. Considering that Arcanine moved impossibly fast, and could act as a mount for her if she ever needed it, it was a good match for her in trying to find out where more of the pieces to Excalibur were. While Arcanine couldn't talk, the Familiar bond substituted with a minor telepathic link so they could communicate.

In short, while Lily watched the pups, Arcanine would run around the world sniffing out sources of Holy energy, compare it to what he knew of Excalibur, and then report back. This had actually been rather useful for Lily because she had already determined where three other fragments of the sword were.

The only problem was the fact they were in the hands of the Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic churches…

A sudden swarm of eager puppies brought Naruto out of his thoughts as he was assaulted by happy tongues. Laughing, he pushed the pups off as he tried to get back up only to be pushed back down by a playful Lily who sealed her lips to his.

A few minutes of bliss later and the two of them finally broke apart, panting for breath.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while now," Lily admitted breathlessly.

Naruto chuckled, "Then why didn't you?"

Lily shrugged as she sat up, her white blouse just wet enough with sweat to stick to her curves as her riding skirt lay bunched around her hips, just barely hiding her bottom section from his view. "The timing never seemed right, what with you already being in a relationship with Tier, Pyrrha and Akitsu. Then Taki came along and there went another opportunity. The fact that she was so against being with you at first didn't help matters." She gnawed lightly on her lower lip, "I guess, I just didn't want to be seen as a loose woman willing to chase after a man just because he saved her and gave her a new chance at life."

Naruto blinked, then reached up to cup her cheek with one hand, an action that Lily gladly accepted. "I would never have thought that."

"I know," she mumbled with her eyes closed. "Now. It took me a bit to learn more about you. Watching you, listening to you..." she trailed off for a moment, then opened her eyes to gaze into his, "loving you."

Naruto smiled and pulled her back down for another round of kissing.

When they broke again he asked, "So, does this mean you'll be joining us all in bed? If so, I'll need a new one, 'cause it's getting kinda crowded."

Lily swatted his nose playfully while laughing.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Taki giggled. Naruto had just finished telling her about his greatest prank: the painting of the Hokage Monument!

"Did you really manage that in orange?" She gasped.

Naruto nodded with a satisfied grin on his lips. "Yup! Granted it was a bit faded, not really the bright 'kill-me-now' it started as, but still."

"Still," Taki agreed. It was her turn for a date with Naruto and she was pleasantly surprised that he had chosen a quiet and peaceful private picnic to watch some out-of-season sakura blossoms. It was uniquely beautiful, and Taki loved it. She had always enjoyed the quiet and stillness, the serene beauty of nature, and good conversation over a cup of tea.

This date was proving to have all of that, and she was glad she had dressed up for it properly. She had chosen a simple black kimono with gold trim and dragon designs, her hair held in her typical high ponytail with a gold pin bearing the Asmodai symbol, and just the lightest dusting of makeup to highlight her features.

Of course her partner for the date was just as nice to look at in her opinion. A simple black men's kimono and hakama, similarly gold trimmed like hers, but with kitsune designs instead of dragons. His own hair was styled into something of a messy-yet-elegant ponytail… and Taki had no clue how he pulled off that dichotomy.

Now the two of them sat together on a blanket, beneath a tree and large Japanese umbrella, drinking some tea, and just telling stories. Or, rather, Naruto was telling stories, since of the two he seemed to have the most.

They passed a bit of time in comfortable silence, before Naruto cleared his throat. "I have to wonder, Taki-chan, what made you tell me about that challenge deal? You know, the one where if you'd won you'd have been free of the marriage tradition of your previous clan?"

Taki shifted a bit, her gaze dropping to her lap, and thought. Why did she do that again? There was something… something important… then it hit her like a tonne of bricks.

"Because..." she hesitated, then looked up to meet his gaze, "because I wasn't being fair. To you, or me. I prided myself on being as unbiased as possible in my judgment of others, and I barely listened to what you had to say. On top of that, I was scared. Afraid of what this new, un-asked for life would bring my way, and I worried that I wasn't equipped to deal with it."

She placed a soft finger to his lips to stall the protest she could see forming. "No, let me say it. You saved my life. And I am grateful now, as I should have been then. But emotions and thinking don't work together properly in the heat of the moment. One must rule, and my resentment of being denied a proper death got the better of me. The fact that you had turned me into a devil, one of the kinds of beings I was trained to fight against, simply compounded the issue. But now I know better, having seen you work tirelessly on the behalf of not just your people, but also for myself, that I cannot apply the same universal label to every devil and demon I meet."

She leaned forward and kissed him lightly, "for opening my eyes and saving my life, I thank you, and I would be proud to be your wife." She smiled mischievously, "even if I have to share you."

Naruto swallowed heavily. Why did that suddenly sound so ominous?

"By the way, Naruto-kun… what's this I hear about a Hidden Village starting up?"

Naruto started sweating at the sweet tone she was using. He wasn't fooled for moment, and he quickly decided it was time to run distraction. Even if he wasn't really doing anything wrong, he _really_ didn't want to put up with a demonically enhanced kunoichi possibly getting angry at him for whatever reason she dreamed up.

"Oh! Before I forget, I have a gift for you, Taki-chan."

The woman blinked, and then grudgingly admitted a temporary defeat. New Hidden Village? Interesting. Gift? Much more interesting. She didn't get gifts all that often, in fact the last one she remembered was Rekki-maru.

Naruto brought out a wood box. Nothing very special about it, it just looked like a box. Maybe about the length of a kodachi, and maybe twice as wide. As Taki took it, she wondered what it could hold. Opening it, a short gasp left her lips, and her eyes widened in surprise before filling with tears. There, lying in a bed of red and gold silk, were her two blades.

Reforged with contrasting varieties of orichalcum, Taki saws that Rekki-Maru now bore a distinct red tinge down the fuller and swirling along the edge, while Mekki-Maru was possessed of a definitive black sheen. She could even feel the power of the blades without having to actually touch them. The strength they both possessed now was easily more than previous.

Her eyes sought his with tears in them, and a question.

"A warrior without their weapons feels more naked than actually being naked," Naruto said softly, his forehead leaning in against hers. "Even we shinobi feel that way when it comes to our most cherished weapons. Before they were serviceable, now they are uniquely yours. Rekki-Maru will more easily channel your spirit, and Mekki-Maru's power and dignity have been restored. These are my gift to you, so that you may always protect yourself and those you hold dear."

Taki couldn't get words past the sudden lump in her throat. He understood, she could hardly believe just how well he understood. Then her mind went to the utterly plain, yet completely functional double-bladed sword he used personally, and it made more sense to her. He had yet to upgrade it, possibly for the same reasons she had held off on having her own fixed. It was a part of him, until it became necessary he would leave his battle companion as it was. And though part of her wondered just when he had taken her blades to be remade, a larger portion was unspeakably grateful.

Without thought her eyes closed as she leaned forward and kissed him. She allowed herself to be lost in the sensation, and the feelings, of the moment. To express herself with action instead of word was always her way, and right now she was doing her utmost to convey her joy.

When they finally broke apart, the two opted to just sit quietly and lean against each other. Each one basking in the moment. Naruto thinking about his change of luck in gaining the affections of such a woman, and Taki content in her choice of man.

 **XxXxXxXx**

Tier stood clad in a new white one-piece swimsuit, this one definitely of a racing design, but with an attached skirt and full-throat collar. Unlike her favourite, this one wasn't naturally transparent, not even when wet. She had decided that the only man allowed to see her in any such way was Naruto, and had gone out of her way to make certain of it. But that wouldn't stop her from wearing her favourite colour to assist in catching his eye.

Next to her was Naruto in a pair of orange-and-gold trunks, and Tier couldn't stop herself from eyeing his defined musculature that was typically hidden by the suit. He wasn't heavy-built, but more like her old companion Grimmjow, a lithe body designed for speed and endurance with a great deal of surprising power for good measure. As she admired him, she couldn't help but think that those training sessions with Sebas and Cocytus were paying off for him.

Naruto turned a curious stare to his companion. "This is what you wanted to do? An indoor water park?"

Tier smiled and wrapped her arms around one of his. "And why not, Naruto-sama? You said the purpose of these dates was to spend time with each of us, yes? Well I want to spend my time with you at this place."

The moment she pulled him closer, Naruto could practically feel the jealous stares of other men, and even some women he'd bet. He shrugged it off, though. She was right. And if this was what she wanted, then he'd hardly turn it down.

Besides, he liked the look of her in that tight swimsuit. And he definitely liked the way her lips tasted. Though due to the public nature of the moment, he'd at least keep the action to a PG-13 rating.

 _Sorry, guys. I know I've got the hottest date here, but no free show for you._

"Well, that's certainly true," he admitted. "So shall we play, or did you have something else in mind?"

Tier gave him a half-lidded look smouldering with promise. "The best fun will come later, Master," she whispered hotly into his ear. "In the meantime, why don't we just enjoy what any other couple might?"

With a dopey smile on his face, Naruto happily complied, only to find himself at the top of the highest slide at the park...

Now, there are two things that should be mentioned. One, as a shinobi Naruto didn't really have a problem with heights. His training covered such things early on, and now that he was a devil with the ability to fly, it was even less of a concern. Two, this was an indoor water park, so naturally the "highest" was anything but dangerous to even a civilian.

Now that those have been said, neither one really does you much good when you aren't paying much attention due to your date's body being pressed up against you. So Naruto not only found himself at the top, but face-first into the pool below in short order. Tier's laughter as he finally pulled himself from the depths didn't help matters. So Naruto did the only thing he felt was the responsible, and adult, thing to do...

He dunked her.

Fun and hilarity ensued.

... Come on people, it's a public water park. There were children present. So none of _that_ kind of fun in your imaginations, please. That was for later, as Tier promised.

 **XxXxXxXx**

"So why bring me along to order a custom bed?" Yuki asked as she looked at her surroundings. Said surroundings were the inside of a mattress manufacturer that specializes in making beds for people who stylized themselves as sultans, and thus "required" a larger bed for their self-imposed harems. Which meant they were also savvy to the supernatural as many male devils wanted such things.

Naruto shrugged, "You seemed the least interested. Which means you're more alert than the others might be. Aside from Rias, the rest of us became devils less than a year ago after all. We're still getting used to that. The sunlight problem in general."

She eyed him skeptically. "And outside of Karma-san, who is over there scaring the piss out of the employees, I'm from a world that is almost exactly like this one so I have less to adapt to?"

Naruto gave her a sideways glance, "Something like that."

He turned away from her and muttered, "Plus I'll need help moving the damn thing, and Cocytus isn't the most subtle creature out there."

Unfortunately he wasn't as quiet as he'd hoped. "Oh? So you needed manual labour?"

Naruto sighed and turned to see Karma hanging off his shoulder. "Not really, it's more that you two are more tight-lipped when it comes to Rias."

Karma gave him a curious expression, and Naruto just motioned toward the head of the company. As he looked, Karma gained an evil look in his eye. The person in question was the spitting image of Treize Kushrenada from one of Rias' animes, Gundam Wing. The man looked- and sounded! -so much like Treize that Naruto couldn't even remember the man's actual name, and had just taken to calling him that.

Treize didn't even mind. It seemed that it was something the man found complementary, and he was tickled pink by the comparison.

Karma was already thinking of ways to tease Rias with this without telling exactly where this person was...

 **XxXxXxXx- Ending Notes**

I am SO sorry for the wait on this! Character building has never been my strong suit, and this chapter had a fair bit of development of the relationships between Naruto and his harem. Thus it naturally took me longer than anticipated. On top of that, part way through I lost all motivation and became sidetracked by other things... My bad!

For those who think "Oh, it can't be that hard. He's just making excuses!"... I invite you to try it yourself. Some of us are good at this kind of thing, _I_ am not. Never mind the fact that most of my notes actually ended last chapter. Never mind the fact that I'm primarily a discovery-style writer. I'm actually more surprised that this story has gathered the following it has.. lucky me.

 **Current Peerage (World/Familiar):**

 **Queen:** Tier Harribel (Bleach/Undine)

 **Bishop:** Rias Gremory (DxD/Devil Bat, Magic Bat), Akitsu (Sekirei/?)

 **Knight:** Aayla Secura (Star Wars/Gryphon), Saber Lily (Fate Series/Arcanine)

 **Rook:** Titania (Fire Emblem/Celestial Charger), Nonaka Yuki (Shinmai Maou/?)

 **Pawn:** Pyrrha Nikos (RWBY/Magic Wolf), Taki (Soul Calibur/?), Arcanine (Pokémon), Akabane Karma (Assassination Classroom/?)

 **Children:**

 **Yugao:** Kushina (F) and Inari (M)

 **Konan:** Hinata (F) and Yahiko (M)

 **A special thanks to DocSlendy for his help in naming the children!**

 **Naruto's Harem as it Stands:** Tier, Pyrrha, Akitsu, Taki, Lily.


End file.
